Recent advances in the development of bioactive hydrogel-based dressings for enhanced wound healing

Perfect and rapid wound healing remains a clinical challenge, and appropriate wound dressing is the key to promoting wound healing. Bioactive hydrogels have gained widespread attention in the field of wound dressings because of their superior physicochemical properties. First, the stages of wound healing, including hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling, are outlined. Next, on the basis of their biological effects, hydrogel dressings are categorized into the following types: antibacterial, hemostatic and adhesive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, angiogenic, microenvironment-responsive, and conductive. Each category is thoroughly discussed with respect to its design strategies, underlying mechanisms of action, and practical applications. Finally, we provide a comprehensive overview of the key challenges confronting bioactive hydrogel dressing research, including sequential treatment needs, individualized treatment needs, advanced material preparation strategies, effective clinical translation and real-time wound monitoring. The corresponding promising solution strategies are also proposed and discussed in detail, offering a novel perspective for the development of hydrogel dressings. • The design strategies, mechanisms, and practical applications of bioactive hydrogel dressings are systematically categorized according to the microenvironmental homeostasis requirements throughout the wound-healing process. • Various functional hydrogels were aligned with the physiological requirements at each stage of wound healing. • The key challenges in the research on bioactive hydrogel dressings are explicitly identified, and potential solutions are proposed.