Emerging self-assembled peptide hydrogels for enhanced wound healing

Wound healing, particularly in chronic conditions such as diabetic ulcers, burns, and pressure injuries, represents a highly intricate and clinically challenging process. These wounds frequently exhibit persistent pathological inflammation, disrupting conventional healing trajectories and significantly compromising patient well-being. Consequently, the development of innovative therapeutic interventions is urgently needed. Self-assembling peptide-based hydrogels have emerged as novel biomaterials, demonstrating exceptional promise in wound management. This article reviews recent advancements in the design and application of self-assembling peptide-based hydrogels, with a focused analysis of their roles in antibacterial activity, hemostasis, and enhancing tissue regeneration. Engineered to exhibit injectability, controlled drug release, spatiotemporal targeting, stimuli-responsive behavior, and biocompatibility, these hydrogels enable precise, dynamic, and patient-tailored therapeutic strategies. By integrating peptide self-assembly with biomedical insights, this article highlights how peptide-based hydrogels address critical limitations in conventional wound care, offering scalable solutions to improve healing outcomes.