Hydrogel Dressings for Advanced Wound Management

Title:Hydrogel Dressings for Advanced Wound Management

Volume: 25 Issue: 41

Author(s): Antonio Francesko, Petya Petkova and Tzanko Tzanov*

Affiliation:

• Grup de Biotecnologia Molecular i Industrial, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Terrassa,Spain

Keywords: Hydrogels, stimuli-responsiveness, sensor molecules, smart polymers, wound healing, wound monitoring.

Abstract: Background: Composed in a large extent of water and due to their nonadhesiveness, hydrogels found their way to the wound dressing market as materials that provide a moisture environment for healing while being comfortable to the patient. Hydrogels’ exploitation is constantly increasing after evidences of their even broader therapeutic potential due to resemblance to dermal tissue and ability to induce partial skin regeneration. The innovation in advanced wound care is further directed to the development of so-called active dressings, where hydrogels are combined with components that enhance the primary purpose of providing a beneficial environment for wound healing.

Objective: The objective of this review is to concisely describe the relevance of hydrogel dressings as platforms for delivery of active molecules for improved management of difficult- to-treat wounds. The emphasis is on the most recent advances in development of stimuli- responsive hydrogels, which allow for control over wound healing efficiency in response to different external modalities. Novel strategies for monitoring of the wound status and healing progress based on incorporation of sensor molecules into the hydrogel platforms are also discussed.

Cite this article as:

Francesko Antonio , Petkova Petya and Tzanov Tzanko *, Hydrogel Dressings for Advanced Wound Management, Current Medicinal Chemistry 2018; 25 (41) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0929867324666170920161246