Stimuli-responsive chitosan-based nanocarriers for drug delivery in wound dressing applications: A review

Wound care poses a significant global challenge, imposing substantial financial strain on governments across the globe. The exploration of wound dressings (WDs) with the potential to enhance the healing process has been the subject of extensive research and scrutiny for an extended period. Traditional wound dressings, such as bandages, hydrogels, and foams, fall short of achieving desired wound healing (WH) outcomes due to their limited ability to accurately address the dynamic process of tissue repair. There have been suggestions to create sophisticated WDs with the capability to interact with wounds, perceive alterations in the wound's state or surroundings, and react correspondingly. This proposal encompasses the development of advanced WDs that possess interactive features for improved monitoring and response to changes in wound conditions. These innovative dressings incorporate sensors and intelligent materials such as stimuli-responsive and self-healing materials, aiming to effectively enhance the process of WH. In recent years, there has been significant advancement in the field of WDs, with the introduction of innovative smart WDs. These cutting-edge dressings include biomechanical WDs, stimuli-responsive WDs, self-healing WDs for mobile injuries, self-removable WDs, and monitoring WDs. This progressive development in wound care technology showcases the potential to revolutionize the management and treatment of various types of wounds. This review aims to provide an overview of dressings with chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) that exhibit responsiveness to stimuli. The article discusses various aspects of these dressings, focusing on their characteristics and applications in a scientific and scholarly manner.