Microfluidic-based functional materials: new prospects for wound healing and beyond

Abstract

Microfluidics has been applied to fabricate high-performance functional materials contributing to all physiological stages of wound healing. The advances of microfluidic-based functional materials for wound healing have been summarized.

Recent developments and future perspectives of microfluidics and smart technologies in wearable devices

“…248 This includes the targeted delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the wound area and the generation of gradients of signalling molecules to direct cell migration and differentiation. [248][249][250][251] Huang et al developed a new method for creating fibres using microfluidic spinning technology that can carry two different types of cargo and release them when needed. 252 Fig.…”

Triboelectric Nanogenerators-Based Therapeutic Electrical Stimulation on Skin: from Fundamentals to Advanced Applications

“…The process of wound healing can be divided into three stages, which include inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling. − In the early and entire phase of inflammation, the accelerated recruitment of cytokines and immune cells is very important. It has been shown that endogenous electric fields can promote the migration of macrophages, lymphocytes, and neutrophils to skin wound sites and ultimately promote wound healing .…”

Oxygen-releasing biomaterials for regenerative medicine

“…Microfluidics, the science of manipulating multiphase fluids at the micro-nano scale, has been widely used in recent years to fabricate materials with specific fine structures and controlled compositions. 80 For example, due to its high reproducibility, flexibility, controllability, and low cost, microfluidics has been used to produce functional materials for wound healing 81 and achieve microcarrierization of oxygen-carrying materials such as hemoglobin 82 and perfluorocarbon. 83,84 In addition to conventional passive tissue-repairing materials like dressings, microfluidics can also produce micro-nano motors with active motility, 85,86 promising to break through the limitations of passive micronano materials for more flexible engineering regenerative applications.…”