Preparation of hydrogel based on natural polysaccharides and its application as chronic wound dressings

Abstract

Against the backdrop of a progressively aging population, the increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity, and the frequent occurrence of infectious diseases, the management of chronic wounds has emerged as a pressing clinical, social, and economic challenge. Among the various types of chronic wounds, diabetic wounds and bacterially infected wounds are particularly common and have garnered significant attention due to their large patient population and high incidence rates. Currently, although hyperbaric oxygen therapy and topical oxygen therapy are common treatments for chronic wounds, their portability and ability to provide continuous treatment are often limited by the size of the therapeutic equipment. Consequently, research into chronic wound dressings has become a burgeoning direction in clinical treatment in recent years. Given that traditional wound dressings, owing to their functional limitations and difficulties during changing, often fail to provide effective protection, they can easily leave wounds in a state of prolonged oxidative stress, compromise vascular integrity, and increase the risk of secondary infection, thereby prolonging the healing process. Therefore, it is particularly crucial to develop novel wound dressings that possess mechanical properties similar to skin tissue and offer multiple biological functions. This study aims to design and prepare two novel multifunctional hydrogel wound dressings based on natural polysaccharides and to thoroughly investigate their potential efficacy in promoting the healing of chronic wounds.