Three-dimensional bioprinted hydrogels for the management of diabetic wounds: A review

Globally, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), a chronic metabolic disease, is at its peak. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is more common worldwide, which raises the risk of ulcers and chronic healing, or non-healing wounds. Overall 15% to 20% of people with diabetes develop diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), which is a significant consequence. Managing and treatment of wounds require an advancement of novel healing therapies with the use of biological dressings. The development of DFU wound dressings and the biomanufacturing of composite 3D skin substitutes are examples of 3D bioprinting technology for enhancing therapeutic approaches. These approaches and challenges of bioprinting technology in wound healing of chronic DFUs are covered in this review. Moreover, the review highlights the selection of biomaterials, integration of biomimetic approaches, and the ability of 3D bioprinting to replicate native skin architecture. Despite significant advances, the review identifies critical gaps including limited vascularization in printed constructs, standardization issues, and scalability challenges that impede clinical translation. Emerging biotechnological tools and novel biomaterial developments are also discussed, emphasizing their potential to overcome these limitations and improve DFU wound management.