Advances in Smart-Response Hydrogels for Skin Wound Repair

Hydrogels have emerged as promising candidates for biomedical applications, especially in the treatment of skin wounds, as a result of their unique structural properties, highly tunable physicochemical properties, and excellent biocompatibility. The integration of smart-response features into hydrogels allows for dynamic responses to different external or internal stimuli. Therefore, this paper reviews the design of different smart-responsive hydrogels for different microenvironments in the field of skin wound therapy. First, the unique microenvironments of three typical chronic difficult-to-heal wounds and the key mechanisms affecting wound healing therapeutic measures are outlined. Strategies for the construction of internal stimulus-responsive hydrogels (e.g., pH, ROS, enzymes, and glucose) and external stimulus-responsive hydrogels (e.g., temperature, light, electricity, and magnetic fields) are highlighted from the perspective of the wound microenvironment and the in vitro environment, and the constitutive relationships between material design, intelligent response, and wound healing are revealed. Finally, this paper discusses the severe challenges faced by smart-responsive hydrogels during skin wound repair and provides an outlook on the combination of smart-responsive hydrogels and artificial intelligence to give scientific direction for creating and using hydrogel dressings that respond to stimuli in the clinic.