Activated Carbon-Reinforced Super-Structured Porous Hydrogel With Robust Mechanical and Excellent Pro-Healing Properties for Abdominal Wall Defect Repair.

Abstract

The repair of abdominal wall defects necessitates the use of advanced biomaterials that can concurrently provide mechanical support, modulate immune responses, and promote tissue regeneration, but current solutions are difficult to integrate these functions. Herein, we report a facile yet effective strategy that confers a unique combination of high porosity, superior mechanical strength, and immunomodulatory performance on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel by incorporating activated carbon (AC) to produce super-structured porous PVA (SPVA-AC) hydrogel. The robust hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interaction, and mechanical interlocking between AC and PVA enable AC to function not only as a pore-expanding agent but also as a rigid crosslinking center. Such dual roles facilitate the construction of enlarged porous structures for fibroblast infiltration while simultaneously enhancing mechanical stability for structural durability in wet environments. Meanwhile, AC serves as an efficient scavenger for reactive oxygen species and inflammatory factors, thereby reshaping the local immune microenvironment by promoting M2 macrophage polarization and accelerating tissue healing. In a rat model of abdominal wall defect, the anti-adhesion SPVA-AC hydrogel demonstrates robust mechanical stability, remarkable anti-inflammatory activity, and accelerated tissue healing. This work offers a scalable and innovative strategy for designing high-performance biomaterials aimed at soft tissue reconstruction.