Chitosan and its derivatives are bioactive molecules that have recently been used in various fields, especially in the medical field. The antibacterial, antitumor, and immunomodulatory properties of
chitosan have been extensively studied.
Chitosan can be used as a
drug-delivery carrier in the form of
hydrogels, sponges,
microspheres, nanoparticles, and thin films to treat diseases, especially those of the skin and soft tissue such as
injuries and lesions of the skin, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves.
Chitosan can prevent and also treat soft tissue diseases by exerting diverse
biological effects such as antibacterial, antitumor,
antioxidant, and tissue regeneration effects. Owing to its antitumor properties,
chitosan can be used as a targeted
therapy to treat soft tissue
tumors. Moreover, owing to its antibacterial and
antioxidant properties,
chitosan can be used in the prevention and treatment of
soft tissue infections.
Chitosan can stop the
bleeding of open
wounds by promoting platelet agglutination. It can also promote the regeneration of soft tissues such as the skin, muscles, and nerves.
Drug-delivery carriers containing
chitosan can be used as
wound dressings to promote wound healing. This review summarizes the structure and
biological characteristics of
chitosan and its derivatives. The recent breakthroughs and future trends of
chitosan and its derivatives in
therapeutic effects and
drug delivery functions including anti-
infection, promotion of wound healing, tissue regeneration and anticancer on soft tissue diseases are elaborated.