Exploring the potential of polysaccharides-based injectable self-healing hydrogels for wound healing applications: A review

In recent decades, significant advancements have been made in wound healing treatments, mainly due to the development of biopolymer-based hydrogels. These injectable self-healing hydrogels have attracted considerable interest because of their unique attributes, including reversible chemistry, injectability, and printability. Unlike traditional hydrogels, injectable polysaccharide-based self-healing hydrogels offer numerous benefits. They can be tailored to fit individual patients, significantly advancing personalized medicine. Upon injection, these hydrogels transform in situ into a substance that effectively covers the entire lesion in all three dimensions, reaching irregular and deep lesions. Injectable self-healing hydrogels also play a pivotal role in promoting tissue regeneration. Their diffusive and viscoelastic properties allow for the controlled delivery of cells or therapeutics in a spatiotemporal manner, provide mechanical support, and facilitate the local recruitment and modulation of host cells. Consequently, these hydrogels have revolutionized innovative approaches to tissue regeneration and are ideally suited for managing chronic wounds. This review paper presents a comprehensive classification of injectable self-healing hydrogels commonly used in chronic wound repair and provides a detailed analysis of the various applications of injectable self-healing hydrogels in treating chronic wounds, thereby illuminating this rapidly evolving field.