Advances and challenges on hydrogels for wound dressing

Hydrogels, due to their hydrophilic nature, tunable chemical, mechanical and biological properties, have shown great promises for wound dressing application. Nevertheless, conventional hydrogels can only passively participate in the wound healing process by maintaining the moisture around wound, which limits the wound healing efficacy. Recent developments of hydrogel wound dressings have focused on the mechanically active adhesive hydrogels and self-adapting hydrogels, which are able to actively accelerate the wound healing process. In this review, we first review the design strategies and function mechanisms of both types of hydrogel dressings, followed by the discussion on the application of those hydrogel dressings for the treatment of different type of wounds. Finally, we present the future trends and research opportunities for the development of next generation “smart” hydrogel materials for wound healing application.