Stress-Resilient Skin Wound Protection via Bioinspired Dual-Tier Architecture

Abstract

Mechanical tension destabilizes wound repair and drives fibrotic progression, yet current protection materials rarely reconcile the contrasting requirements of load-bearing and interfacial adaptability. To address this persistent mechanical conflict, a dual-tier hydrogel architecture was developed by integrating a stiff protective tier with a compliant adaptive tier to redistribute deformation and maintain secure adhesion under load. The stiff tier intercepted external stress, the compliant tier accommodated deformation, and dual interfaces regulated force transmission to avoid stress concentration on wound sites. The construct preserved bioadhesion energy exceeded that of various commercial products, and ex vivo distraction tests showed controlled wound opening with deformation control ratios of 70–90% compared with 30–40% for the commercial Mepiform patch. In a tension-driven murine model, the dual-tier patch demonstrated a reduction in scar area of approximately 97%, restored collagen angular dispersion and fiber diameter toward unwounded patterns, and lowered proliferative, inflammatory, immune, and mechanotransduction signals with significant improvement over Mepiform. These findings underscore the value of architecture-driven material design for achieving stable wound protection under fluctuating mechanical conditions.