Current Advances in Wound Healing and Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

Treating chronic wounds is a common and costly challenge worldwide. More advanced treatments are needed to improve wound healing and prevent severe complications such as infection and amputation. Like other medical fields, there have been advances in new technologies promoting wound healing potential. Regenerative medicine as a new method has aroused hope in treating chronic wounds. The technology improving wound healing includes using customizable matrices based on synthetic and natural polymers, different types of autologous and allogeneic cells at different differentiation phases, small molecules, peptides, and proteins as a growth factor, RNA interference, and gene therapy. In the last decade, various types of wound dressings have been designed. Emerging dressings include a variety of interactive/bioactive dressings and tissue-engineering skin options. However, there is still no suitable and effective dressing to treat all chronic wounds. This article reviews different wounds and common treatments, advanced technologies and wound dressings, the advanced wound care market, and some interactive/bioactive wound dressings in the market.

Hydrogel-Based Skin Regeneration

“…Traditional skin tissue grafts and transplants for burn wound healing often face challenges, including inadequate re-vascularization and re-epithelialization. Synthetic therapies aimed at regenerative wound healing offer a non-immunogenic, off-the-shelf approach to improving the clinical management of burn-related skin tissue defects [4]. Shen et al illustrated the effective mechanisms of dextran-based hydrogel in burnt wound healing.…”

“…In recent times, advanced wound care products have progressively overtaken traditional wound care products in the market. These advanced products are becoming the primary choice for treatment and are expected to experience rapid growth due to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity, coupled with a growing demand for innovative wound care solutions [4]. Discharged products comprise foam dressings, hydrocolloids, alginates, and hydrogels [127].…”

“…In recent years, the demand for polymer-based therapeutic approaches in skin tissue defects has risen substantially. Contemporary polymer research now focuses on constructing scaffolds using polymeric materials that integrate with biological molecules or cells, promoting tissue regeneration [4].…”

The efficacy and safety of autologous epidermal cell suspensions for re‐epithelialization of skin lesions: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized trials

“…Considering the principle of skin injury healing, a variety of treatment methods have been employed in clinical settings, aiming to counter different types of skin injuries. These include autologous skin grafting for burn treatment, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) for addressing various types of acute and chronic ulcers, blister epidermal grafting for treating pigment anomalies (like vitiligo), or laser therapy used for scar treatment 6–7 . These therapeutic approaches vary in effectiveness, and sometimes, a combination is required for skin damage repair.…”

“…These include autologous skin grafting for burn treatment, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) for addressing various types of acute and chronic ulcers, blister epidermal grafting for treating pigment anomalies (like vitiligo), or laser therapy used for scar treatment. 6 , 7 These therapeutic approaches vary in effectiveness, and sometimes, a combination is required for skin damage repair. Current studies are exploring the optimal method to repair skin injuries.…”