Department of Dentistry-Biomaterials, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Department of Dentistry-Orthodontics and Craniofacial Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Tissue Eng Part B Rev. 2020 Jun;26(3):230-248. doi: 10.1089/ten.TEB.2019.0281. Epub 2020 Feb 28.
Wound dressings are traditionally used to protect a wound and to facilitate healing. Currently, their function is expanding. There is an urgent need for new smart products that not only act as a protective barrier but also actively support the wound healing process. Hydrogel dressings are an example of such innovative products and typically facilitate wound healing by providing a hospitable and moist environment in which cells can thrive, while the wound can still breathe and exudate can be drained. These dressings also tend to be less painful or have a soothing effect and allow for additional drug delivery. In this review, various strategic and molecular design considerations are discussed that are relevant for developing a hydrogel into a wound dressing product. These considerations vary from material choice to ease of use and determine the dressing's final properties, application potential, and benefits for the patient. The focus of this review lies on identifying and explaining key aspects of hydrogel wound dressings and their relevance in the different phases of wound repair. Molecular targets of wound healing are discussed that are relevant when tailoring hydrogels toward specific wound healing scenarios. In addition, the potential of hydrogels is reviewed as medicine advances from a repair-based wound healing approach toward a regenerative-based one. Hydrogels can play a key role in the transition toward personal wound care and facilitating regenerative medicine strategies by acting as a scaffold for (stem) cells and carrier/source of bioactive molecules and/or drugs. Impact statement Improved wound healing will lead to a better quality of life around the globe. It can be expected that this coincides with a reduction in health care spending, as the duration of treatment decreases. To achieve this, new and modern wound care products are desired that both facilitate healing and improve comfort and outcome for the patient. It is proposed that hydrogel wound dressings can play a pivotal role in improving wound care, and to that end, this review aims to summarize the various design considerations that can be made to optimize hydrogels for the purpose of a wound dressing.
传统上，伤口敷料用于保护伤口并促进愈合。目前，它们的功能正在扩展。迫切需要新的智能产品，这些产品不仅可以作为保护屏障，还可以积极支持伤口愈合过程。水凝胶敷料就是此类创新产品的一个例子，它们通过提供一个有利于细胞生长的湿润环境来促进伤口愈合，同时使伤口能够透气并排出渗出物。这些敷料通常还具有减轻疼痛或舒缓作用，并允许进行额外的药物输送。在这篇综述中，讨论了各种战略和分子设计考虑因素，这些因素对于将水凝胶开发为伤口敷料产品至关重要。这些考虑因素从材料选择到易用性不等，决定了敷料的最终性能、应用潜力和患者受益。本文重点在于识别和解释水凝胶伤口敷料的关键方面及其在伤口修复的不同阶段的相关性。讨论了与针对特定伤口愈合情况定制水凝胶相关的伤口愈合分子靶标。此外，还回顾了水凝胶的潜力，因为医学从基于修复的伤口愈合方法向基于再生的方法发展。水凝胶可以通过充当（干细胞）细胞的支架和生物活性分子和/或药物的载体/来源，在向个性化伤口护理和促进再生医学策略的转变中发挥关键作用。
伤口愈合的改善将在全球范围内提高生活质量。可以预期，这将与医疗保健支出的减少相吻合，因为治疗时间缩短。为了实现这一目标，需要新型现代化的伤口护理产品，这些产品不仅可以促进愈合，还可以提高患者的舒适度和治疗效果。有人提出，水凝胶伤口敷料可以在改善伤口护理方面发挥关键作用，为此，本篇综述旨在总结可以进行的各种设计考虑因素，以优化水凝胶的性能，使其成为伤口敷料。
