Advances in hyaluronic acid: Bioactivity, complexed biomaterials and biological application: A review

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a natural glycosaminoglycan found in the human body, particularly in the extracellular matrix of body fluids and tissues. It plays a critical role in cellular processes of living organisms by maintaining tissue hydration, cell proliferation, differentiation, and inflammatory response. HA exhibits significant biological activity in skin care, aesthetic anti-aging, medical orthopedic repair, gynecological cancer monitoring, and other pathological conditions. Due to its exceptional biocompatibility, biodegradability, lack of toxicity, non-immunogenicity, and its capacity to bond with other substances, various HA-based biomedical products like hydrogels, microneedles, and microspheres have been developed. These innovations have also been applied in various medical and health fields, such as bone and tissue regeneration, gels for medical aesthetic fillers, and gynecology-related cancer treatment, utilizing the HA drug delivery pathway. The interest in HA and its products is increasing due to their biological functions. Therefore, this review aimed to summarize the biological properties of HA and to focus on its applications in the bone tissue engineering and healthcare, for HA has some practical applications of HA-based complexes in biomedical materials, tissue repair, medical aesthetics, and gynecology. Through this review, we seek to offer theoretical research assistance for the development of HA-based bioproducts in the healthcare domain and provide innovative insights for human health.