Regenerative Wound Dressings for Skin Cancer

Abstract

Skin cancer is considered the most prevalent cancer type globally, with a continuously increasing prevalence and mortality growth rate. Additionally, the high risk of recurrence makes skin cancer treatment among the most expensive of all cancers, with average costs estimated to double within 5 years. Although tumor excision is the most effective approach among the available strategies, surgical interventions could be disfiguring, requiring additional skin grafts for covering the defects. In this context, post-surgery management should involve the application of wound dressings for promoting skin regeneration and preventing tumor recurrence and microbial infections, which still represents a considerable clinical challenge. Therefore, this paper aims to provide an up-to-date overview regarding the current status of regenerative wound dressings for skin cancer therapy. Specifically, the recent discoveries in natural biocompounds as anti-cancer agents for skin cancer treatment and the most intensively studied biomaterials for bioactive wound dressing development will be described.

Modification of Alginates to Modulate Their Physic-Chemical Properties and Obtain Biomaterials with Different Functional Properties

“…Calcium alginate activates platelets and affects thrombin, making it an effective hemostatic [ 206 , 207 ] and suitable for use in wound dressings [ 208 , 209 , 210 ]. Low-molecular-weight sodium alginate lowers blood pressure [ 211 ].…”

Surface Modification of Bacterial Cellulose for Biomedical Applications

“…Skin cancer and serious burns are also treated using dressings [ 110 ]. In the United States non-melanoma skin cancers (5 million people per year), melanoma skin cancers (280,000 people per year) and serious burns (486,000 people per year) require dressings that shorten the wound healing process to prevent inflammation and microbial infection, and in the case of cancer it needs to prevent tumor recurrence as well [ 26 , 111 , 112 , 113 ]. The ideal wound dressing, thus; must accelerate reepithelization, maintain wound moisture, oxygen permeability, reduce pain, prevent infection and be customizable [ 26 ].…”

3D-Printed Products for Topical Skin Applications: From Personalized Dressings to Drug Delivery

“…The current trend is to replace traditional dressings, such as cotton or gauze, which do not have any therapeutic effect, with technological and individualized dressings, providing a more personalized therapy [12,41]. Over the course, the wound dressing can be divided into three categories: bioactive; passive or inert; and interactive [42]. Bioactive dressings are characterized by the gradual release of bioactive molecules.…”

“…Interactive wound dressing can influence the wound surface and afford benefits to the healing process. They are able to influence the wound environment and can reduce exudates, prevent infections, form granulation tissue and re-epithelialize and even facilitate debris removal [42,43]. Another classification used relies on their complexity, divided into traditional dressings (e.g., gauze), modern (e.g., films and foams) and advanced dressings (e.g., medicated modern dressing and tissue-engineered substitutes) [44,45].…”