Oxygen-Releasing Hydrogels in Biomedicine: Present and Future

Oxygen-releasing hydrogels (ORHs) have emerged as innovative biomedical platforms capable of delivering controlled oxygen through chemical, physical, or biological mechanisms, demonstrating significant potential in enhancing tissue regeneration, disease treatment, and biomedical engineering applications. Concurrently, their therapeutic performance and application scope are also shaped by fabrication strategies, with bulk hydrogel networks, electrospinning nanofibrous matrices, 3D bioprinted architectures, and transdermal microneedle systems each providing distinct spatiotemporal control over oxygen release profiles. Finally, ORHs effectively promote critical biological processes including cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and wound healing across dermal, cardiovascular, and neural systems. Overall, the development and application of ORHs represent a significant advancement in biomedicine with far-reaching implications for improving patient treatment outcomes. This review aims to explore the diverse uses and preparations of ORHs while highlighting their impact on biology and medicine.