Diabetes adversely affects wound-healing responses, leading to the development of chronic infected
wounds. Such
wound microenvironment is characterized by hyperglycaemia, hyperinflammation,
hypoxia, variable pH, upregulation of
matrix metalloproteinases, oxidative stress, and bacterial colonization. These pathological conditions pose challenges for the effective wound healing. Therefore, there is a paradigm shift in diabetic
wound care management wherein abnormal pathological conditions of the
wound microenvironment is used as a trigger for controlling the drug release or to improve properties of
wound dressings.
Hydrogels composed of natural
polysaccharides showed tremendous potential as
wound dressings as well as
stimuli-responsive materials due to their unique properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, hydrophilicity, porosity, stimuli-responsiveness etc. Hence,
polysaccharide-based
hydrogels have emerged as advanced healthcare materials for diabetic
wounds. In this review, we presented important aspects for the design of
hydrogel-based
wound dressings with an emphasis on biocompatibility, biodegradability, entrapment of therapeutic agents, moisturizing ability, swelling, and mechanical properties. Further, various crosslinking methods that enable desirable properties and stimuli responsiveness to the
hydrogels have been mentioned. Subsequently, state-of-the-art developments in mono- and multi- stimuli-responsive
hydrogels have been presented along with the case studies. Finally regulatory perspectives, challenges for the clinical translation and future prospects have been discussed.