ROS-responsive drug delivery systems for chronic wound healing: advances, challenges, and translational perspectives

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Wound Healing Research

Background:

• Chronic wounds represent a significant global health challenge due to high incidence and recurrence rates.
• Sustained production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the chronic wound microenvironment inhibits the natural healing process.
• Pathological ROS accumulation necessitates innovative therapeutic strategies for effective wound management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of advanced ROS-responsive drug delivery systems (DDS) for chronic wound healing.
• To summarize the design principles, material chemistry, and functional mechanisms of ROS-triggered DDS.
• To discuss translational challenges and future perspectives for clinical application of ROS-responsive DDS.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of ROS-responsive DDS for chronic wound healing.
• Analysis of design strategies, material compositions, and ROS-triggered release mechanisms.
• Discussion of clinical translation barriers, including biocompatibility, stability, scalability, and regulatory aspects.

Main Results:

• ROS-responsive DDS demonstrate potential for targeted drug delivery in chronic wounds.
• Various DDS designs leverage ROS to trigger therapeutic agent release, addressing the wound microenvironment.
• Key challenges include ensuring material stability in complex wound exudates and achieving manufacturing scalability.

Conclusions:

• ROS-responsive DDS represent a promising approach to precision therapy for chronic wound management.
• Addressing translational challenges is crucial for the successful clinical implementation of these advanced systems.
• Future directions include integrating multi-responsive functionalities and real-time ROS monitoring for enhanced therapeutic efficacy.