role of bio-nanocomposite hydrogels in wound dressings

Aim and background: wounds have become one of the causes of death worldwide. therefore, it is important to develop new multifunctional wound dressings. bio-nanocomposite hydrogels have unique properties such as outstanding biocompatibility, biodegradability, controlled and prolonged-drug release and enhanced mechanical strength, which make them as an alternative to traditional wound coatings. among bio-nanocomposite hydrogels, polysaccharide-based ones such as cellulose/chitosan hydrogel nanocomposites offer outstanding features including significant mechanical properties, especially in wet conditions. in this way, the combinational use of these materials and nanomaterials as nanocomposite hydrogel provides several merits such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, tissue-like properties, being inexpensive and non-toxic. therefore, they match well with human skin and can be used as artificial skin and wound dressing. the primary objective of this article is to review a summary of the recent researches on the utilization of bio-nanocomposite hydrogels and their applications related to wound dressing.methods: the data was obtained by searching with keywords including hydrogel, wound healing, nanomedicine within science direct, mdpi and pubmed from 2018 to 2023. results and discussion: the results have shown that the bio-nanocomposite hydrogels could meet the essential requirements for the reasonable wound dressing with desirable characteristics such as relatively good swelling, appreciated vapor transmission rate, excellent barrier against microbe penetration and acceptable mechanical properties. conclusion: bio-nanocomposite hydrogel due to biodegradability, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial effects have great potential clinical application. therefore, they find their way to the market of wound and burn dressings. however, there is still challenges to reach the ideal hydrogel dressing, especially in the treatment of chronic wounds.