Advances in multifunctional diagnostic hydrogels for complex chronic wound healing and monitoring

Abstract

The multidimensional pathological manifestations induced by chronic wounds present a significant challenge to the medical field, for which accelerated and comprehensive therapeutic strategies remain elusive. Metabolic imbalances in the chronic wound micro-ecosystem have been identified as a potential trigger for a complex array of clinical symptoms, underscoring the urgent and critical need for accelerated and deeper comprehensive therapies for chronic wounds. Despite the development of numerous strategies and materials, considerable challenges remain in the search for an efficacious and widely applicable treatment for chronic wounds. The treatment of chronic wounds remains a bottleneck. Bioactive hydrogels as promising wound dressings are widely used to promote wound healing and treatment due to their excellent comprehensive physicochemical performances. Besides, performing efficient wound management is essential for complex chronic wounds. Conductive hydrogel bioelectronics have been recognized as one of the promising solutions for wound management, which could be employed as a diagnostic wound dressing to record and monitor the electrophysiological and non-electrophysiological signals of the wounds. In this review, we systematically outline the recent advancements in diagnostic hydrogel research, encompassing adhesive and hemostasis, antimicrobial, antioxidative, immunoregulatory, and stimulus-responsive hydrogels for wound healing, as well as hydrogel-based sensors for wound monitoring. The wound healing and monitoring mechanisms of multifunctional diagnostic hydrogels are emphatically evaluated and elucidated. Finally, the research prospect and production of multifunctional diagnostic hydrogel wound dressings in the physio/chemo-therapy of chronic wounds is envisaged.