13. An ionic gelation powder for ultrafast hemostasis and accelerated wound healing

Rapid and effective bleeding control remains a clinical priority, particularly for deep or irregular wounds where conventional dressings are inadequate. Here, an ionically responsive, powder-based hemostatic system (AGCL) composed of alginate, gellan gum, chitosan, and a glutaraldehyde crosslinker is presented. Upon contact with calcium ions in blood, AGCL rapidly forms an adhesive hydrogel network within ≈1 s, enabling ultrafast gelation and a high blood uptake ratio (≈725%). The powder exhibits strong bioadhesion (>40 kPa), excellent sealing under mixed-mode loading, and robust storage stability for up to 24 months under ambient conditions. In vitro assays confirm minimal hemolysis (<3%), high cytocompatibility, and greater than 99% antibacterial efficacy. In various bleeding models, AGCL significantly reduced blood loss and time to hemostasis compared to TachoSil, a clinical benchmark. Furthermore, AGCL accelerated re-epithelialization, angiogenesis, and collagen deposition in murine skin and liver wound models, supporting high-quality tissue regeneration without systemic toxicity. These results demonstrate that AGCL integrates rapid coagulation, strong adhesion, long-term biostability, and regenerative capacity in a single platform. Its powder format offers distinct advantages in versatility, ease of application, and storability, making it a promising candidate for next-generation topical hemostats in trauma care, surgery, and emergency medicine.