Peng Xuanqi, Wang Ziyi, Wang Leo, Hou Weiliang
The State Key Laboratory of Mechanism and Quality of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China.
Kitsilano Secondary School, 2706 Trafalgar Street, Vancouver, V6K 2J6, Canada.
Theranostics. 2025 Jul 24;15(16):8068-8095. doi: 10.7150/thno.115988. eCollection 2025.
Wound management remains a clinical challenge due to the complexity of healing processes. Traditional dressings with passive protection mechanisms and modern synthetic alternatives often fail to recapitulate the dynamic biological interactions in the wound microenvironment. Mucus is a naturally widely available biomaterial, exhibiting superior bioactive properties as a viscoelastic gel-like substance. Notably, natural mucus derived from diverse biological sources has garnered significant attention as advanced wound dressings. This review explores the potential of natural mucus from animals, plants, microorganisms, and other complex sources as multifunctional wound healing platforms. By analyzing the therapeutic effects of natural mucus, we evaluate its key molecular mechanisms and performance metrics against clinical wound dressings. This establishes a scientific framework for mucus-inspired biomaterials design. The comprehensive assessment not only reveals the untapped potential of renewable biological resources in developing eco-friendly, high-performance wound care alternatives but also provides theoretical guidance for developing next-generation dressings with bioactive, self-adaptive, and environmentally responsive characteristics.
由于愈合过程的复杂性，伤口管理仍然是一项临床挑战。具有被动保护机制的传统敷料和现代合成替代品往往无法重现伤口微环境中的动态生物相互作用。黏液是一种天然广泛存在的生物材料，作为一种粘弹性凝胶状物质具有优异的生物活性特性。值得注意的是，源自不同生物来源的天然黏液作为先进的伤口敷料已引起了广泛关注。本综述探讨了来自动物、植物、微生物和其他复杂来源的天然黏液作为多功能伤口愈合平台的潜力。通过分析天然黏液的治疗效果，我们评估了其关键分子机制和与临床伤口敷料相比的性能指标。这为受黏液启发的生物材料设计建立了一个科学框架。全面评估不仅揭示了可再生生物资源在开发环保、高性能伤口护理替代品方面尚未开发的潜力，还为开发具有生物活性、自适应和环境响应特性的下一代敷料提供了理论指导。
