Emerging stimuli-responsive hydrogels for enhancing chronic wound healing
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Stimuli-responsive hydrogels have gained significant attention in wound care due to their ability to adapt to dynamic physiological conditions, making them promising candidates for facilitating chronic wound healing. These hydrogels can respond to both internal and external environmental stimuli such as temperature, pH, reactive oxygen species (ROS), glucose levels, MMP, mechanical forces, magnetism, and ultrasound, enabling precise, on-demand therapeutic interventions through controlled drug release. This responsiveness is governed by reversible changes in their polymer network structure caused by interactions with external stimuli. By creating an optimized environment for wound healing, stimuli-sensitive hydrogels can promote moisture retention, cellular migration, and mechanical flexibility while accelerating critical tissue repair processes like angiogenesis or collagen synthesis. Additionally, incorporating bioactive agents such as antimicrobial compounds, growth factors, and other therapeutically active substances like honey, has further expanded their functionality, though such modifications may be secondary to their inherent stimuli-responsive nature. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in stimuli-responsive hydrogels for chronic wound management, highlighting their ability to respond to environmental cues and addressing their potential to enhance healing through the controlled release of therapeutic agents, promotion of hemostasis, and tissue regeneration.Stimuli-responsive hydrogels, activated by biological and external cues, hold promise for controlled drug release, moisture retention, and accelerated tissue regeneration. This review highlights their emerging role in advancing chronic wound therapy.
Source: UNC Libraries
DOI: 10.17615/7xcb-ef05
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Language: English
Topic: Wound Healing and Treatments
Subfield: Rehabilitation
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Deanship of Scientific Research, King Khalid University, American Cancer Society, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, Rheumatology Research Foundation, Fondation Brocher, Naito Foundation, Michigan State University, Texas A and M University, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Gruber Foundation, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Australian Government, Pain Relief Foundation, Royal Society, Diabetes UK, University College London, European Commission, European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, University of Adelaide, Canada Research Chairs, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grantová Agentura České Republiky, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Narodowe Centrum Nauki, Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS, Lietuvos Mokslo Taryba, Henan University, Vereniging Trustfonds Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, Canceropôle PACA, Universidad de Cantabria, Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province, Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, Kobayashi Foundation for Cancer Research, Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria, Xunta de Galicia, Debreceni Egyetem, Shaanxi Province Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Xunta de Galicia, Nemzeti Kutatási Fejlesztési és Innovációs Hivatal, Government of Western Australia, NOVARTIS Foundation (Japan) for the Promotion of Science, Gemeinsame Bundesausschuss, Ministère des Armées, Centro Singular de Investigación de Galicia, National Institutes of Health, National Nanotechnology Coordinating Office, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Australian Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Division of Materials Research, Division of Chemistry, National Institute of Justice, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, NextGenerationEU, Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang Province
OpenAlex ID: W7155161341