Hydrogels for the treatment of radiation-induced skin and mucosa damages: An up-to-date overview

Abstract

Radiation-induced damages are difficult to heal than normal wounds. This is because radiation therapy could lead to an imbalanced inflammatory response, oxidative stress response, lack of angiogenesis, and a high risk of bacterial infection, which are considered to be the greatest challenges in radiation-induced damages treatment. Hydrogels are semi-occlusive and are composed of complex hydrophilic polymers with a higher water content. Due to their excellent mechanical and biochemical property (such as adhesiveness, antibacterial, and antioxidant abilities), hydrogels represent a promising strategy that has achieved potent therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of radiation-induced skin and mucosa damages. This review systematically and comprehensively summarizes the recent progress of various types of hydrogels such as natural biopolymer, synthetic polymer, composite hydrogels and commodity dressings for the treatment of radiation-induced skin and mucosa damages.

Cutaneous Radiation Injuries: REAC/TS Clinical Experience

“…The choice of dressing can be traditional, but it is suggested that hydrocolloid/hydrogel-based wound covering be considered. 16,17 These dressings provide gentle adhesion, compared to adherence dressings, and water vapor transmission, that can augment wound infection control “and perform autolytic debridement of necrotic tissue by piggybacking on antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs during the inflammatory phase. In the proliferative phase, hydrogel dressings can promote vascular regeneration and fibroblast proliferation by releasing growth factors and degradation of bioactive materials.…”

A Case Series and Literature Review: Management Strategies for Radiation-Induced Ulcers of the Chest

“…3,19 Novel approaches gaining attention include functional hydrogels with complex properties, photoresponsive hydrogels combined with light-based therapy, and hydrogels integrated with biopolymers. 3,20 Patients with osteoradionecrosis should undergo surgical treatment with the primary goals of eliminating infection, excising all damaged tissue, and providing stability to the chest wall during reconstruction. Surgical intervention should involve the removing infected tissue and skin affected by radiation to facilitate proper healing.…”

A Comprehensive Review of Radiation-Induced Hydrogels: Synthesis, Properties, and Multidimensional Applications

“…Additionally, the study evaluated the biological activity of IFI6 in wound healing using these hydrogels for skin regeneration, assessing cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. This research highlights the significant potential of IFI6-based treatments in managing and healing RISI, advocating for further investigation into its broader therapeutic applications (as shown in Figure 9 b) [ 115 , 116 , 117 ].…”