Fabrication of Cyclodextrin-Based Hydrogels for Wound Healing: Progress, Limitations, and Prospects

Abstract

Hydrogels are promising wound dressings due to their properties of excellent biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, and other benefits. Cyclodextrin (CD) has external hydrophilicity and internal hydrophobicity, with a three-dimensional hollow cone ring structure, which has robust complexing ability and is easily modified by various functional groups. CD and its derivatives can be employed as host macromolecules to construct supramolecular compounds through host–guest recognition; on the other hand, they are common drug carriers to encapsulate various substances. Therefore, ideal wound dressings can be designed by combining hydrogels, and CD hydrogels will maintain the moist environment needed for wound healing; meanwhile, the CD with hydrophobic surface and hydrophilic cavity not only endows the stimulus-responsive performance of hydrogels by identifying the corresponding functional guest molecules but also safeguards and regulates the release of bioactive compounds. In this review, CD-based hydrogels with different cross-linked methods are briefly described first. Subsequently, based on the roles and functions of CD in hydrogels, the design and application of CD-based hydrogels with stimulus-responsive and drug delivery properties for wound healing are summarized. Moreover, the limitations of current research and potential research avenues have been discussed, which may provide a reference for the subsequent research on CD-based hydrogels for skin injuries.

Engineered cyclodextrin-based supramolecular hydrogels for biomedical applications

“…8,15–18 However, there is, to our knowledge, a lack of detailed discussion regarding the optimization of the mechanical properties and the different drug loading and release modalities of CD-based supramolecular hydrogels. 19–21 CD-based supramolecular hydrogels have garnered significant attention due to their self-healing and shear-thinning properties. Nonetheless, the tradeoff between the self-healing properties and mechanical strength of these hydrogels severely limits their practical applications in various biomedical fields.…”

Fabrication and evaluation of ribavirin-loaded electrospun nanofibers as an antimicrobial wound dressing

“…Moreover, the biocompatibility of CD polymers increases their use in the field of drug delivery to carry different laded materials to targeted sites and improve the efficacy of encapsulated drugs ( Pinho et al, 2014 ). It has been demonstrated that CD polymer has adhesive properties that can be exploited in wound-dressing manufacturing ( Wang et al, 2023a ). The formulation of bilirubin/CD adhesive hydrogel has been reported to promote wound healing in diabetic and non-diabetic in vivo , indicating the ability to be used as a wound dressing agent ( Yao et al, 2021 ).…”