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 nanoparticle 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 L-929 mouse fibroblast and A-549 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.