Vesicular drug delivery systems: A breakthrough in wound healing therapies

The skin plays a crucial role in mediating the most significant transactions in our lives and is essential to our biology and sensory experiences. The skin is highly susceptible to developing various lesions, including ulcers and wounds, because it is constantly exposed to the external environment. Wounds can attenuate skin function, with subsequent complications and further severe implications. Wound healing is a crucial process and remains a complex biological process, often hindered by challenges such as infection, chronic inflammation, and impaired tissue regeneration. Conventional therapies, despite their widespread use, face limitations in terms of efficacy, targeted delivery, and patient compliance. The present review explores the main roles of lipid-based vesicular delivery systems, including ethosomes, liposomes, niosomes, novasomes, and solid lipid nanoparticles, as promising wound-healing delivery systems. A comprehensive analysis of wound classifications, key factors influencing the healing process, conventional and emerging novel therapeutic approaches, and the application of vesicular delivery systems in wound management was conducted. Additionally, the diverse bioactive agents transported through these systems were examined along with characterization techniques, challenges, scalability, and opportunities associated with their clinical translation. Furthermore, future directions in optimizing vesicular platforms for enhanced therapeutic efficacy and wound regeneration have been explored, highlighting the need for advanced strategies to overcome existing limitations and improve patient outcomes. This review underscores the transformative potential of vesicular systems for revolutionizing wound-healing therapies while addressing existing limitations and exploring pathways for future progress.