Wound Dressings Based on Poly (N-Isopropylacrylamide): Design, Performance, and Applications

Wound dressings are medical materials used to cover and protect wounds, promoting healing. They play a significant role in the medical field. Although traditional dressings have played a role in providing basic protection, they have significant shortcomings in many aspects. In recent years, with a deeper understanding of wound-healing mechanisms, new treatment methods have emerged. Among these new methods, hydrogels have shown significant advantages in the field of wound dressings. Among the various hydrogel materials, PNIPAM hydrogels have attracted attention due to their temperature sensitivity (their lower critical solution temperature is close to human body temperature), which helps to regulate wound humidity and facilitates intelligent drug release, showing unique application potential in the field of wound dressings. This article reviews the latest research findings on PNIPAM-based polymeric hydrogels in the field of wound dressings, focusing on their design and synthesis methods, dressing construction strategies, and applications in wound healing. The core advantages of PNIPAM hydrogels as the core material for the next generation of intelligent wound dressings lie in their dynamic responsiveness and functional scalability. Future research should focus on optimizing safety, synergistic multiresponse, and clinical practicality verification, ultimately achieving a transition from "passive coverage" to "active treatment."