Signalling pathways triggering therapeutic marine algae-derived natural polysaccharides for effective wound healing:...

Wound healing involves intricate cellular and molecular mechanisms governed by various signalling pathways that regulate inflammation, cell migration, proliferation, and tissue remodeling. Marine algae-derived polysaccharides such as alginate, carrageenan, fucoidan, and ulvan have demonstrated the ability to modulate key signalling pathways involved in wound healing. These include the TGF-β/Smad pathway, which promotes fibroblast activation and collagen synthesis; the PI3K/Akt pathway, essential for cell survival, angiogenesis, and keratinocyte migration; and the NF-κB pathway, which plays a central role in controlling inflammation. Fucoidan, for example, has been shown to suppress NF-κB activation, thereby reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress at the wound site. Similarly, ulvan and carrageenan can modulate MAPK and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, enhancing cell proliferation and re-epithelialization. These signalling modulations, combined with their intrinsic antimicrobial, antioxidant, and moisture-retention properties, make marine polysaccharides highly effective in accelerating wound closure, especially in chronic and infected wounds. Furthermore, their structural adaptability allows them to be engineered into various delivery systems that sustain therapeutic activity at the wound site, promoting faster and more organized tissue regeneration while maintaining environmental sustainability.