Hydrogel Loaded with Components for Therapeutic Applications in Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids

Yixiu Zhong; Youfan Zhang; Beibei Lu; Zhenjun Deng; Zhiwen Zhang; Qi Wang; Jianglin Zhang

doi:10.2147/IJN.S448667

Hydrogel Loaded with Components for Therapeutic Applications in Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids

Int J Nanomedicine. 2024 Jan 25:19:883-899. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S448667. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Yixiu Zhong¹, Youfan Zhang², Beibei Lu¹, Zhenjun Deng¹, Zhiwen Zhang², Qi Wang², Jianglin Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dermatology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
² Department of Dermatology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.

Abstract

Hypertrophic scars and keloids are common fibroproliferative diseases following injury. Patients with pathologic scars suffer from impaired quality of life and psychological health due to appearance disfiguration, itch, pain, and movement disorders. Recently, the advancement of hydrogels in biomedical fields has brought a variety of novel materials, methods and therapeutic targets for treating hypertrophic scars and keloids, which exhibit broad prospects. This review has summarized current research on hydrogels and loaded components used in preventing and treating hypertrophic scars and keloids. These hydrogels attenuate keloid and hypertrophic scar formation and progression by loading organic chemicals, drugs, or bioactive molecules (such as growth factors, genes, proteins/peptides, and stem cells/exosomes). Among them, smart hydrogels (a very promising method for loading many types of bioactive components) are currently favoured by researchers. In addition, combining hydrogels and current therapy (such as laser or radiation therapy, etc.) could improve the treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids. Then, the difficulties and limitations of the current research and possible suggestions for improvement are listed. Moreover, we also propose novel strategies for facilitating the construction of target multifunctional hydrogels in the future.

Keywords: hydrogel; hypertrophic scar; keloid; wound healing.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Cicatrix, Hypertrophic* / drug therapy
Cicatrix, Hypertrophic* / pathology
Humans
Hydrogels
Keloid* / drug therapy
Pruritus
Quality of Life

Substances

Hydrogels

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82073019, 82073018 and 82202851), Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission, China (Natural Science Foundation of Shenzhen), (JCYJ20210324113001005, JCYJ20210324114212035, JCYJ20220530151817038). This work was supported by Grant No. from the National Natural Science Foundation and Grant No. from Shenzhen Science and Technology Planning Project.