Recent developments in zinc oxide-polymer nanocomposites for enhanced wound healing applications

Wound healing is a complex, self-regulated biological process primarily driven by the immune response. However, this normal process can be disrupted by several factors such as infection or prolonged inflammation leading to chronic wounds. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) have emerged as promising nanomaterials for wound therapy due to their broad antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Despite their therapeutic potential, the clinical use of ZnONPs has been hindered by concerns like cytotoxicity, instability, and uncontrolled zinc ion release. To overcome these limitations, natural, synthetic, and hybrid polymer-based nanocomposites have been developed as advanced delivery platforms. In addition to acting as a carrier for ZnONPs, improving their biocompatibility, many polymers have wound healing activities, providing scaffolds that promote cellular proliferation and angiogenesis. This review highlights recent progress in ZnONPs-loaded polymer nanocomposites, such as hydrogels, nanofibers, and porous films, focusing on their fabrication methods, characterization tools, and application in wound healing, while emphasizing the need for optimizing these platforms to move toward clinical translation.