![]() Hydrogels are hydrophilic, three-dimensional polymeric matrices that are able to absorb and swell with water without dissolving. This review aims to provide a brief overview of hydrogels, their applications in drug delivery and wound management, and their benefits over other commonly-used drug delivery vehicles. Of these optimized vehicles, hydrogels in particular are garnering a lot of interest from the medical and pharmaceutical wound care market, because of their unique characteristics of biocompatibility, high water content, and flexibility. Numerous regimens are employed for treating wounds, from dressings, bandages, and surgery to targeted drug delivery via optimized vehicles (for a recent review on methods employed for the treatment of wounds, see ). Chronic wounds, or wounds that have not progressed through the ordered healing process, exist in a self-perpetuating inflammatory stage, prolonging the burden on the patient and their families and on society as a whole, with an estimated AUD$2.85 billion spent annually on chromic wound management in Australia. While most cases of wound healing are successful in a basic sense, in that the process completes and the dermal layers are repaired (thus restoring the skins fundamental role of keeping pathogens out and moisture in), some instances of wound healing may become disrupted, leading to chronic wounds, such as pressure ulcers, diabetic leg and foot ulcers, and infected wounds. ![]() Human wound repair leads to scarring and the loss of skin appendages, such as hair follicles that contribute to normal skin functions (e.g., sensation). While members of other species such as fish and amphibians have demonstrated the ability to perfectly regenerate skin, mammals, including humans, experience great difficulty in completely regenerating damaged tissue, especially if the damage is significant. Wound healing is a rapid, dynamic, and complex process, encompassing multiple, distinct, and overlapping processes, including haemostasis, inflammation, cellular proliferation, and granulation tissue formation and maturation. As a result, the process of wound healing is a crucial component of ensuring the host’s continuing health. Wounds to the skin, if not properly treated, can become infected, further increasing local tissue damage and potentially leading to systemic inflammation and life-threatening immunological responses, such as sepsis in the worst cases. The skin is subjected to an almost constant barrage of potential injuries, from environmental injury due to exposure to the likes of UV radiation, to physical wounds where one or more layers of the skin are cut, broken, or otherwise damaged. ![]() The intricate structure of the human skin both repels environmental insults to the barrier and protects the body’s internal organs, two mechanisms crucial to survival. ![]()
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