Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (2): 489-498.doi: 10.12307/2025.892

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Living microecological hydrogels promote skin wound healing

Huang Xinxu, Zhang Xin, Wang Jian   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Department of Prosthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
  • Received:2024-08-28 Accepted:2024-10-26 Online:2026-01-18 Published:2025-07-02
  • Contact: Huang Xinxu, Doctoral candidate, State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Department of Prosthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
  • About author:Wang Jian, MD, Professor, State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Department of Prosthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
  • Supported by:
    Sichuan Provincial Science and Technology Plan Project, No. 2023NSFSC2000 (to WJ); National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82271034 (to WJ)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Living microecological hydrogels are a hot topic in the field of wound dressing and have received widespread attention. 
OBJECTIVE: To summarize the basic features and advantages of living microecological hydrogels, review the progress in the application of hydrogels loaded with different living organisms in skin wound repair in recent years.
METHODS: The articles published from database inception to 2024 were retrieved from Web of Science, PubMed, CNKI, and WanFang databases with “cell, probiotics, phage, chlorella, algae, living microecological, hydrogel, skin, wound healing, wound repair” as search terms in English and Chinese. The articles for inclusion were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Finally, 108 articles were included for review. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The living microecological hydrogels have good biocompatibility, and the hydrogel can provide a suitable living environment for the loaded organisms, and play a barrier role between the living organisms and the wound to avoid potential threats. Compared with traditional wound dressings, the effect of living microecological hydrogels is sustainable and renewable. Biological regulation can keep the microenvironment at the wound site relatively stable, which can provide suitable conditions for wound healing for a long time and reduce the additional trauma caused by frequent dressing changes. Compared with the direct use of living organisms to promote wound healing, living microecological hydrogels can improve the survival rate of organisms and ensure their biological regulation. Living microecological hydrogels promote wound healing mainly by regulating the “inflammation” and “proliferation” stages in the wound healing process. The existing living microecological hydrogels mainly load organisms such as cells, probiotics, algae, and phages, which give hydrogels with different biological properties, so that they can promote wound healing by releasing substances required for wound healing or improving the wound environment, and have great application potential. To further expand the actual clinical application of living microecological hydrogels, it is necessary to further control the biosafety risks of active organisms in hydrogels in the future, avoid potential biological threats, and research the hydrogel matrix that can better adapt to the complex changes of human skin wounds and can support living organisms.


Key words: hydrogel, wound healing, bioactive material, microecological, cell, probiotic, microalgae, phage, engineered skin material

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