Recent advance in multifunctional hydrogels for skin wound care: from material classification and fabrication to therapeutic mechanisms.

Abstract

The skin serves as the primary barrier against external physical damage and microbial invasion. When the skin is compromised, effective wound management becomes essential for maintaining tissue integrity and preventing complications. Although conventional wound dressings provide basic protection, they often fail to meet the complex and dynamic requirements of different stages of wound healing. Owing to their highly hydrated three-dimensional networks, tunable physicochemical properties, and excellent biocompatibility, hydrogels have emerged as promising platforms for advanced wound care. Recent advances in material engineering have enabled hydrogels to integrate multiple therapeutic functions, including hemostasis, antibacterial activity, immunomodulation, antioxidant regulation, angiogenesis promotion, scar reduction, and controlled drug delivery, thereby facilitating coordinated tissue regeneration. This review summarizes recent advances in hydrogel-based wound dressings, including the biological process of skin wound healing, hydrogel material classification, fabrication and crosslinking strategies, and multifunctional hydrogel design. Particular attention is given to the relationship between hydrogel functions and different stages of wound healing, as well as the advantages and limitations of various hydrogel systems. Finally, current challenges related to mechanical properties, clinical translation, large-animal evaluation, and manufacturing standardization are discussed, together with emerging strategies such as stimulus-responsive hydrogels and programmable therapeutic systems for future wound management.