Functional hyaluronic acid/gelatin hydrogel accelerates the closure and healing of diabetic wounds.

Monaprenylindole A, a prenylated indole derivative from marine-derived Streptomyces sp., accelerates wound healing through the enhancement of keratinocyte motility via the modulation of cytoskeletal remodeling and growth factor pathways.

Various surgical techniques are available for facial skin and soft tissue defect repair, with flap reconstruction being the current mainstream choice. Secondary intention healing (SIH) has re-emerged as a viable option with unique advantages, yet its standardized clinical application criteria and up-to-date evidence base remain to be systematically summarized. We performed a systematic literature review of studies on SIH for facial defect repair, with predefined search strategies, inclusion and exclusion criteria across PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from database inception to December 2025. Concurrently, we presented a case series of 3 patients who underwent SIH for facial tumor resection defects at our institution, with detailed clinical data and long-term follow-up outcomes. A total of 37 eligible clinical studies were included in the final review. The evidence confirmed that SIH achieves excellent cosmetic and functional outcomes in concave facial subunits (NEET areas), with satisfactory results in FAIR areas for appropriately sized defects. The procedure offers the advantages of no auxiliary incisions, simple operation, low cost, and the ability to monitor tumor recurrence in strictly selected cases. Our case series further validated the favorable outcomes of SIH in nasal sidewall, periocular, and cheek defects, with complete re-epithelialization within 7-10 days and no severe complications during follow-up. For properly selected small-to-medium facial skin and soft tissue defects, SIH is a straightforward, safe, well-tolerated, and cost-effective repair modality. This review and case series provide updated evidence and clinical decision-making references for the application of SIH in facial defect reconstruction. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Plant-derived exosomes (PDEs) are gaining attention owing to their key implications in cross-kingdom communication, facilitating bioactive entities among plants and animals. PDEs are tiny nanoscale vesicles generally comprised of RNAs, proteins, and secondary metabolites and are involved in the regulation of physiological processes (immune modulation, cell regeneration, and stress response). An important feature of PDEs is to enable cross-kingdom regulation in skin wound repair. This is because PDEs can modulate several signaling pathways (PI3K-Akt, TGF-β, and mitogen-activated protein kinase) that further direct inflammatory, cell migratory, angiogenic, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Key features of PDEs, including modest immunogenicity, easy crossing of biological barriers, and natural biocompatibility, make them novel alternatives to synthetic wound-healing agents. Therefore, this review disparagingly examines the biogenesis, molecular composition, and diversified biological functions of PDEs, particularly with reference to potential implications in wound healing and overall skin health. The current challenges pertaining to PDE isolation, scalability, and bioavailability and regulatory hurdles for their clinical translation were also explored. In addition, the epigenetic effects of PDEs on human skin cells and wound healing are explained in detail. Finally, this review presents a comprehensive investigation of PDEs in skin wound repair, identifies research gaps, and outlines future directions for dermatological applications.

Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) plays an important role in skin regeneration and repair by promoting cell proliferation and collagen synthesis. However, its topical application is limited by low stability, susceptibility to degradation, and poor penetration through the stratum corneum due to its hydrophilic nature and relatively large molecular size. Microencapsulation offers a strategy to protect sensitive bioactives and improve their delivery in cosmetic formulations. In this study, EGF was encapsulated in Arabic gum/gelatine A (AG/GE) coacervate microcapsules and incorporated into a hydrating cream. The work extends previous studies using the same microcapsule composition for lipophilic compounds, demonstrating its applicability for a hydrophilic bioactive and highlighting the versatility of the encapsulation platform. The resulting microcapsules exhibited spherical, multinucleated morphology with an encapsulation efficiency of 78.8 + 1.0%. Although diffusion of microencapsulated EGF in the cream could not be directly determined, the formulation showed trends towards improvement in several skin parameters during the volunteer evaluation, including reduction in surface spots (31%), brown spots (21%) and pore visibility (10%), and improved texture (22%). A 25% decrease in transepidermal water loss and a 33% increase in elasticity suggested improved skin barrier function. Volunteers reported high acceptance regarding non-irritancy, texture, and sensory experience.

Aim: This study evaluates the acute toxicity and wound-healing effects of bene gum on a dorsal wound model in rats. Method: An excisional neck wound was created in twenty-four Sprague Dawley rats, and they were randomly assigned to four cages: normal saline (A); 0.2 ml of intrasite gel (B); 2.5% bene gum (C), or 5% of bene gum (D). After two weeks, skin samples from the healed area and serum were obtained for histological and biochemical investigations. Results: The topical application of Bene gum (2.5 and 5%) did not show any overt sign of toxicity (local irritation or swelling); yet, it accelerated wound recovery, indicated by lower wound size and a faster rate of wound closure (90.32 and 93.36%, respectively). The histological evaluation of healed skin from bene gum (2.5% and 5%)-treated rats revealed increased deposition of tissue collagen, increased blood capillaries in the granulated tissue areas, and other histologic features consistent with fibroblast activity. Bene gum application increased angiogenetic factors (TGF-β1) by 9.68% and 54.66%, and hydroxyproline/collagen deposition by 41.62% and 97.12%, respectively, relative to vehicle control. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of bene gum (2.5 and 5%) were confirmed by its up-regulating effects on endogenous superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes, interleukin-10, while down-regulating the malondialdehyde (MDA) and pro-inflammatory chemicals (reduced interleukin-6 by 31.40% and 67.11%, and tumor necrosis factor-α by 42.10% and 63.18%, resp.), suggesting modulation of inflammatory mediators associated with wound healing. Conclusion:The outcomes back up the traditional use of bene gum as an effective wound healer.

Talar cysts, a common manifestation of osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT), often result from trauma and cause significant pain and dysfunction. Cysts > 10 mm require grafting, and autologous iliac bone is an ideal graft source. However, accessing posteromedial lesions remains challenging: oblique osteotomies are associated with high osteoarthritis rates (up to 50%) and delayed union, while bi plane chevron osteotomies have reported malunion rates as high as 30%. To address these limitations, this study investigated the effectiveness of medial malleolus triple plane osteotomy combined with autologous iliac bone grafting for large talar cysts. This retrospective case series included patients with talar cysts larger than 10 mm in diameter who were treated in our Hospital between February 2021 and March 2023. Patients underwent medial malleolus triple-plane osteotomy with autologous iliac bone grafting. Postoperative outcomes were assessed, including neurological complications, skin healing, radiological assessment of fracture healing, graft fusion, joint space evaluation, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Score (AOFAS-AHS), Kaikkonen functional scores, and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores. Statistical analyses were performed using paired t-tests to compare preoperative and final follow-up scores. A total of nine patients (mean age 34.20 ± 9.23 years; seven males) were included, which had a follow-up period of 23.00 ± 7.80 months. Primary wound healing was achieved in all cases, with no neurovascular injuries reported. Postoperative X-rays demonstrated that the osteotomy lines became indistinct at 3 months, disappeared progressively by 6 months, and were fully healed by 12 months, at which point the internal fixation was removed. The grafted talar region exhibited sclerosis at 3 months, progressive assimilation with surrounding bone density at 6 months, and subtle visibility of the graft site at 12 months. At final follow-up, compared to preoperative values, patients had significantly improved VAS scores (p < 0.05), AOFAS-AHS scores (92.37 ± 2.09 vs. 59.39 ± 6.31, p < 0.05), and Kaikkonen functional scores (89.11 ± 3.11 vs. 60.23 ± 2.79, p < 0.05). Medial malleolus triple-plane osteotomy and autologous iliac bone grafting might be effective in treating talar cysts in this series of patients. Patients experienced less pain and improved functional scores at the final follow-up with no neurovascular injuries.

The majority of post-procedure skin whitening and repair methods for postmedical aesthetic procedures fail to achieve desired skin whitening and repair functionality due to limitations in stability and skin penetration capability. To address this issue, we developed a Triple Permeation System (TPS) integrated nanocarrier, atomization, and electro-enhanced permeation technologies. Five active ingredients were encapsulated into the liposomes via high-pressure homogenization technology to form a composite nanocarrier named PRO-Peptide311. PRO-Peptide311 effectively increased cellular uptake and significantly decreased tyrosinase activity, melanin expression, ROS levels, and the secretion of inflammatory factors at the cellular level. Moreover, the skin whitening efficacy was confirmed using a 3D skin model. When combined with atomization and electro-enhanced permeation technologies, PRO-Peptide311 demonstrated substantially improved percutaneous penetration compared to any single technology alone. The enhanced performance of TPS highlights the synergistic effect achieved through combining nanocarrier encapsulation with physical enhancement techniques. This integrated approach effectively overcomes key limitations in transdermal delivery, such as poor stability and insufficient penetration of multi-functional active compounds. The system shows strong potential for application in managing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and lays the foundation for the future development of advanced skincare delivery systems. The TPS-based delivery system not only alleviates post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation following aesthetic procedures but also holds promise for broadening the scope of transdermal therapies in dermatology and cosmeceuticals.

A novel formulation for comprehensive skin repair was developed in this study using gentiopicroside (GPS) encapsulated within natural lecithin-derived liposome nanoparticles via microfluidics to address the current challenge faced in facial well-being. A ring-shaped novel microfluidic device was first designed with the assistance of a COMSOL simulation for developing liposome nanoparticles. A gentiopicroside liposome (GPS Lips) delivery system was then established using the device, and the effects of total flow rate (TFR), flow rate ratio (FRR), phospholipid concentration, and phospholipid type on liposome particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) were systematically investigated. The therapeutic potential of the developed GPS Lips was examined, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, using the HaCaT UVB-induced damage model. The optimized GPS Lips exhibited a particle size of 138.7 nm, a PDI of 0.171, and an encapsulation efficiency of 34.7% (TFR = 840 μL/min, FRR = 7:1, GPS concentration = 0.2 mg/mL, and phospholipid/cholesterol = 1.33:1). It was demonstrated that the GPS Lips effectively scavenged reactive oxygen species generated by UVB exposure and significantly reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor A. The obtained liposomal formulation significantly improved the cellular uptake and bioavailability of GPS, thereby enhancing its protective efficacy against UVB-induced cytotoxicity. It was thus suggested by these findings that GPS Lips represent a promising nanocarrier system for enhanced transdermal delivery with potential applications in skin repair and antiphotoaging therapies.

Skin wounds remain a clinical challenge, especially for burns and chronic wounds, and existing therapies seldom re-engage the rapid, scar-sparing repair programs observed in nature. Planarians are super-regenerators capable of rebuilding the entire organism from small fragments, and their extracellular vesicles might encode potent prorepair cues. But whether planarian-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) can enhance mammalian skin healing is unknown. Therefore, we isolated EVs from a wild-type planarian flatworm collected in Sweden and evaluated their therapeutic activity in complementary wound models: a chicken chorioallantoic membrane assay and a human 3D skin model. In our models, planarian EVs significantly accelerated tissue regeneration and wound closure, and improved re-epithelialization and barrier integrity compared to controls. These data indicate that cross-species (xenogeneic) EVs from planarians carry bioactive factors capable of expediting cutaneous repair. Together, the results position planarian-derived EVs as a potential cell-free therapeutic strategy for burns and chronic wounds, motivating additional mechanistic and translational studies for clinical use.

Self-developed pilose antler-hyaluronic acid hydrogel accelerates UVB-induced skin damage repair in mice via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways.

Functionalized biomimetic smart suture with composite coating combined with transcutaneous electrical stimulation for tendon - skin repair.

Radiation dermatitis (RD) remains a prevalent and challenging adverse effect of radiotherapy in cancer patients, significantly impairing patient quality of life and potentially interrupting treatment regimens. In recent years, the development of biopolymer-based hydrogels has emerged as a promising strategy for preventing and managing RD. Among these, alginate and chitosan-based hydrogels have attracted considerable attention due to their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and wound-healing properties. This comprehensive review highlights the therapeutic efficacy of alginate/chitosan composite hydrogels in RD management. The unique physicochemical characteristics of these hydrogels, including moisture retention, oxygen permeability, and controlled drug release capabilities, make them ideal candidates for treating radiation-induced skin injuries. Mechanistically, these hydrogels exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects while promoting re-epithelialization and collagen, which are critical in skin repair. Preclinical studies revealed significantly reduced RD severity scores and histopathological improvements following hydrogel application. Although clinical translation remains limited, initial trials showed promising outcomes in human subjects. Overall, alginate/chitosan hydrogels represent an effective system with immense potential to revolutionize RD management in oncological care.

Stem cell-derived and plant-derived exosomes: Promising therapeutics for skin healing and regeneration.

An injectable ROS-scavenging hydrogel with engineered Rehmannia glutinosa extracellular vesicles designed for inflammation-resolving tissue regeneration

Messages in a vesicle: exosomes at the crossroads of skin pathology and healing.

Collagen, the most abundant extracellular matrix (ECM) protein, has emerged as a cornerstone biomaterial in drug delivery and regenerative medicine due to its intrinsic biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low immunogenicity. Engineering collagen into microspheres transforms its functionality beyond bulk scaffolds by increasing surface area, enabling minimally invasive delivery, and providing precise control over degradation, mechanical properties, and therapeutic release. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of collagen-based microspheres, with a particular focus on their dual role as biomimetic microenvironments and delivery systems. Recent advances in fabrication strategies, including emulsification, microfluidics, spray-drying, and electrospraying, are discussed in the context of scalability, size control, and payload encapsulation. Composite approaches that incorporate bioactive minerals, polysaccharides, or synthetic polymers are highlighted for their ability to enhance mechanical performance and biological function. We further examine characterization frameworks that link microscale structure and physicochemical properties to biological outcomes, with emphasis on how collagen microspheres replicate key structural, mechanical, and signaling features of native tissue microenvironments. Collagen microspheres have demonstrated broad utility as controlled delivery platforms, cell-instructive microcarriers, and injectable systems for tissue regeneration, including applications in bone, cartilage, skin, and nerve repair, as well as advanced wound care and localized cancer therapy. Finally, we critically assess current challenges related to scalable manufacturing, sterilization compatibility, and batch reproducibility, and outline emerging solutions such as recombinant collagen, advanced biofabrication, and stimuli-responsive systems. Collectively, collagen microspheres represent a powerful and adaptable platform poised to advance next-generation regenerative and therapeutic technologies.

Open fractures account for approximately 2.6% of all fractures but continue to pose a significant clinical challenge due to their associated complications and potential impact on limb function. Among these complications, infection remains particularly prevalent. Although numerous recent studies have addressed this issue, many are limited by restrictive inclusion criteria, especially regarding the anatomical segments of the limbs evaluated HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that recent advances in open fracture management may have impacted infection rates across the entire appendicular and pelvic skeleton, and may have altered the associated risk factors compared to historical data. We conducted a retrospective, single-center, observational study including 368 open fractures treated at our institution between January 2017 and December 2020, with a minimum follow-up of one year. The primary outcome was the incidence of secondary infection. Secondary outcomes included the occurrence of other complications, the need for surgical reinterventions, and the time required for bone and soft tissue healing. A secondary infection occurred in 13.3% of cases. The most frequently isolated pathogens were Staphylococcus spp. and Enterobacter cloacae. Identified risk factors included bone loss, crush injuries, and pelvic trauma. The presence of secondary infection was significantly associated with a higher number of reinterventions, increased complication rates, and prolonged skin healing time (p < 0.05). The 13.3% secondary infection rate observed aligns with existing literature but exceeds recent reports limited to tibial fractures. Our broader anatomical scope revealed higher infection risks in ankle and pelvic fractures. Known risk factors (diabetes, high Gustilo grade, crush injuries) were confirmed, while emerging associations (high BMI, bone loss, pelvic/ankle location) warrant prospective validation. A surprising correlation between prolonged prophylaxis and infection likely reflects confounding by indication. The underuse of SFAR-recommended regimens-despite frequent isolation of amoxicillin-clavulanate-resistant Enterobacter-underscores the need to reassess prophylactic strategies. Study limitations include retrospective design and potential selection bias, but robust follow-up and comprehensive data support the clinical relevance of our findings. IV; retrospective study.

Green fabrication and wound repair evaluation of carrageenan-based composite antibacterial hydrogel.

A radially aligned nanofiber scaffold with engineered guidance gradients for directed cell migration and accelerated wound healing.