Current Insights and Future Directions in Scar Management and Skin Regeneration

Skin scarring, including hypertrophic scars and keloids, often results from dysregulated collagen deposition during wound healing. Tropocollagen (TC), the soluble triple-helical precursor of collagen fibers, serves as the fundamental structural unit of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and plays a pivotal role in tissue repair. This review summarizes current knowledge on collagen and TC in wound healing, scar management, and regenerative dermatology. TC self-assembles into fibrils, providing structural support, while interacting with fibroblasts and growth factors such as transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to regulate ECM remodeling, angiogenesis, and tissue regeneration. Various collagen preparations, including hydrolyzed collagen, gelatin, and native fibrillar forms, differ in molecular structure, bioavailability, and therapeutic applications. Emerging strategies, including collagen- and TC-based hydrogels, nanomaterial composites, and smart wound dressings, enhance stability, targeted delivery, and clinical efficacy. Despite promising preclinical and early clinical data, standardized preparations and robust randomized trials are needed to validate TC's therapeutic potential and optimize its application in scar prevention and wound repair.