We will notify you of the publication of new articles in BIO integration. Skin wound healing remains a formidable clinical challenge due to complex pathophysiological mechanisms and prolonged repair processes, especially in chronic non-healing conditions such as diabetic foot ulcers and infected wounds.
Hydrogels have emerged as ideal wound dressing platforms due to their high water content, excellent water retention capacity, good biocompatibility, and structural similarity to the extracellular matrix. In recent years, bioactive polysaccharides derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have been used as follows: Bretilla striata polysaccharide (BSP), Astragalus polysaccharides (APS), and Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharides (DOPs) have attracted increasing attention for the construction of functional wound healing hydrogels. This growing interest is driven by their inherent multifunctional bioactivities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, proangiogenic, and hemostatic activities, positioning bioactive polysaccharides as promising “all-in-one” therapeutic biomaterials.
This review systematically summarizes recent advances in TCM polysaccharide-based functional hydrogels for dermal wound healing applications. We will focus on design and manufacturing strategies that include physical and chemical cross-linking approaches to construct diverse network structures, as well as functionalization strategies that leverage advanced manufacturing techniques to incorporate bioactive components and achieve customized properties. Furthermore, we comprehensively discuss the therapeutic effects of these hydrogels in different fields. in vitro and alive Wound models with particular emphasis on the underlying mechanisms of action, including modulating macrophage polarization, scavenging reactive oxygen species, promoting angiogenesis, accelerating cell proliferation and migration, and controlling extracellular matrix remodeling. Finally, we critically analyze existing challenges and future research prospects.
Overall, functional hydrogels based on bioactive TCM polysaccharides that integrate traditional medical wisdom and modern biomedical engineering represent a highly promising platform for the development of next-generation effective and intelligent wound repair materials.
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Reference magazines:
Wang, H. others. (2026) Functional hydrogels based on traditional Chinese medicine bioactive polysaccharides: an advanced biomaterial strategy for skin wound healing. BIO integration. DOI: 10.15212/bioi-2026-0006. https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.15212/bioi-2026-0006
