New Perspectives of Hydrogels in Chronic Wound Management

Chronic wounds pose a substantial healthcare concern due to their prevalence and cost burden. This paper presents a detailed overview of chronic wounds and emphasizes the critical need for novel therapeutic solutions. The pathophysiology of wound healing is discussed, including the healing stages an...

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Main Authors: Adina Alberts, Andreea Gabriela Bratu, Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu, Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/3/686
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author Adina Alberts
Andreea Gabriela Bratu
Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu
Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu
author_facet Adina Alberts
Andreea Gabriela Bratu
Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu
Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu
author_sort Adina Alberts
collection DOAJ
description Chronic wounds pose a substantial healthcare concern due to their prevalence and cost burden. This paper presents a detailed overview of chronic wounds and emphasizes the critical need for novel therapeutic solutions. The pathophysiology of wound healing is discussed, including the healing stages and the factors contributing to chronicity. The focus is on diverse types of chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot necrosis, pressure ulcers, and venous leg ulcers, highlighting their etiology, consequences, and the therapeutic issues they provide. Further, modern wound care solutions, particularly hydrogels, are highlighted for tackling the challenges of chronic wound management. Hydrogels are characterized as multipurpose materials that possess vital characteristics like the capacity to retain moisture, biocompatibility, and the incorporation of active drugs. Hydrogels’ effectiveness in therapeutic applications is demonstrated by how they support healing, including preserving ideal moisture levels, promoting cellular migration, and possessing antibacterial properties. Thus, this paper presents hydrogel technology’s latest developments, emphasizing drug-loaded and stimuli-responsive types and underscoring how these advanced formulations greatly improve therapy outcomes by enabling dynamic and focused reactions to the wound environment. Future directions for hydrogel research promote the development of customized hydrogel treatments and the incorporation of digital health tools to improve the treatment of chronic wounds.
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spelling doaj-art-cf388709ca3c4cf49ef35e79307546fb2025-08-20T02:12:31ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-02-0130368610.3390/molecules30030686New Perspectives of Hydrogels in Chronic Wound ManagementAdina Alberts0Andreea Gabriela Bratu1Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu2Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu3Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaFaculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Gh. Polizu St. 1-7, 060042 Bucharest, RomaniaFaculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Gh. Polizu St. 1-7, 060042 Bucharest, RomaniaFaculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Gh. Polizu St. 1-7, 060042 Bucharest, RomaniaChronic wounds pose a substantial healthcare concern due to their prevalence and cost burden. This paper presents a detailed overview of chronic wounds and emphasizes the critical need for novel therapeutic solutions. The pathophysiology of wound healing is discussed, including the healing stages and the factors contributing to chronicity. The focus is on diverse types of chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot necrosis, pressure ulcers, and venous leg ulcers, highlighting their etiology, consequences, and the therapeutic issues they provide. Further, modern wound care solutions, particularly hydrogels, are highlighted for tackling the challenges of chronic wound management. Hydrogels are characterized as multipurpose materials that possess vital characteristics like the capacity to retain moisture, biocompatibility, and the incorporation of active drugs. Hydrogels’ effectiveness in therapeutic applications is demonstrated by how they support healing, including preserving ideal moisture levels, promoting cellular migration, and possessing antibacterial properties. Thus, this paper presents hydrogel technology’s latest developments, emphasizing drug-loaded and stimuli-responsive types and underscoring how these advanced formulations greatly improve therapy outcomes by enabling dynamic and focused reactions to the wound environment. Future directions for hydrogel research promote the development of customized hydrogel treatments and the incorporation of digital health tools to improve the treatment of chronic wounds.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/3/686hydrogelswound healingchronic woundsdiabetic foot ulcersstimuli-responsive hydrogelsantibacterial peptides
spellingShingle Adina Alberts
Andreea Gabriela Bratu
Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu
Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu
New Perspectives of Hydrogels in Chronic Wound Management
Molecules
hydrogels
wound healing
chronic wounds
diabetic foot ulcers
stimuli-responsive hydrogels
antibacterial peptides
title New Perspectives of Hydrogels in Chronic Wound Management
title_full New Perspectives of Hydrogels in Chronic Wound Management
title_fullStr New Perspectives of Hydrogels in Chronic Wound Management
title_full_unstemmed New Perspectives of Hydrogels in Chronic Wound Management
title_short New Perspectives of Hydrogels in Chronic Wound Management
title_sort new perspectives of hydrogels in chronic wound management
topic hydrogels
wound healing
chronic wounds
diabetic foot ulcers
stimuli-responsive hydrogels
antibacterial peptides
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/3/686
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