Photoacoustic imaging and biodistribution analysis of trimethyl chitosan-stabilized ZnO nanoparticles embedded in nanofiber scaffolds for diabetic wound healing.

Chronic wounds associated with diabetes represent a persistent clinical challenge, primarily due to their delayed healing dynamics and heightened vulnerability to microbial invasion, which can precipitate serious adverse outcomes. In response to these issues, we have developed a nanofiber scaffold loaded with trimethyl chitosan-derived ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-TMC-NPs-NFs) to enhance diabetic wound-healing therapy. The developed nanoparticle (ZnO-TMC-NPs) has a size of 16.1 ± 3.7 nm and a zeta potential of +26.3 ± 1.7 mV. Integration of ZnO-TMC-NPs into chitosan poly(vinyl-alcohol) nanofiber scaffolds was performed to develop nanoformulation ranging between 120 and 240 nm. Moreover, the robustness of this research is enhanced by in vitro cell line evaluations using L929 mouse fibroblast and A549 lung cancer cell lines, and by integrating in vivo optical modalities with advanced ultrasound/photoacoustic (PA) imaging. Collectively, the results underscore the therapeutic promise of this nanofibrous scaffold, particularly when functionalized with TMC-ZnO, as a viable intervention for diabetic wound management.