University of Belgrade researchers develop novel hydrogels for burn wound treatment; study shows PVA/Gentamicin and PVA/Chitosan/Gentamicin combinations significantly improve healing time in rat models

June 6, 2025 (Health & Medicine Daily) –

2025 JUN 06 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Daily -- New study results on gels research have been published. According to news originating from Belgrade, Serbia , by NewsRx editors, the research stated, “Scar formation and delayed wound healing pose significant challenges in treating skin injuries, especially in severe cases like burns and diabetic wounds. This study investigates the effectiveness of novel Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/Gentamicin (Gent) and PVA/Chitosan (CHI)/Gent hydrogels in promoting healing of second-degree burn wounds in a rat model.”

Funders for this research include Ministry of Science , Technological Development , And Innovation of The Republic of Serbia ; University Union -nikola Tesla, Belgrade, Serbia .

The news editors obtained a quote from the research from University of Belgrade : “Following in vitro testing, these hydrogels were deemed non-toxic and suitable for in vivo analysis. Clinical evaluations were conducted on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 21st post-injury days, assessing parameters such as blistering, edema, redness, crust, bleeding, secretion, scar tissue formation, and wound contraction percentage. Histological analyses focused on re-epithelization and dermal evaluation at specific time points. Results showed that both hydrogels significantly reduced inflammation, particularly redness, by the 14th day and improved re-epithelization, with the PVA/CHI/Gent group outperforming on the 14th day and the PVA/Gent group excelling on the 21st day. Histological findings indicated increased fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition in treated groups, suggesting enhanced dermal healing. The PVA/CHI/Gent hydrogel demonstrated notable antibacterial properties, likely due to the synergistic effects of CHI and Gent, leading to reduced inflammation and edema.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Overall, both hydrogels show promise as effective wound dressings, facilitating faster healing and improved tissue recovery in burn injuries. This study supports the use of biomimetic scaffolds for enhanced wound management in clinical practices.”

For more information on this research see: Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Gentamicin and Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Chitosan/Gentamicin: Promising Materials for Rapid Burn Wound Healing. Gels, 2025,11(5):352. (Gels - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/gels). The publisher for Gels is MDPI AG .

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11050352.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Anja Nikolic , Department of Histology and Embryology , Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade , Bulevar Oslobodjenja 18, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia . Additional authors for this research include Ivan Miloševic, Ana Jankovic , Bogomir Bolka Prokic , Emilija Nickovic, Danica Markovic , Milena Stevanovic , Maja Vukašinovic-Sekulic, Vesna Miškovic-Stankovic, Tijana Lužajic Božinovski.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)