Layer-by-layer assembly: advancing skin repair, one layer at a time

Abstract

Skin wound management remains a critical global healthcare challenge, with annual costs exceeding £30 billion. Traditional treatments like autografts face limitations in cost, availability, and recovery times. This review explores spray-assisted Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technology as a transformative approach for wound healing, emphasising its ability to deposit natural- and synthetic-polyelectrolytes such as chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid, and collagen into nanoscale coatings. These biocompatible multilayers integrate therapeutic agents to accelerate healing, reduce infections, and mimic native extracellular matrix structures. The work highlights emerging spray device innovations that optimise spray parameters to enhance cell viability, coverage, and clinical outcomes. While LbL techniques demonstrate versatility across substrates and scalability via immersion, spray, and microfluidic methods, challenges persist in manufacturing uniformity and clinical translation. The review underscores the urgent need for clinical trials to validate Lbl-based coatings in real-world settings and addresses gaps in portable, sustainable device development. By bridging advanced materials science with clinical practice, spray-assisted LbL technology offers a roadmap to overcome current wound care limitations, prioritising biocompatibility, cost-efficiency, and improved patient safety in regenerative medicine.