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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NCIranian Journal of Burns and Wound Research

Advanced cell-laden hydrogels for diabetic wound healing: Biomaterial design, therapeutic mechanisms, and translational challenges

  • Fatemeh Haghdoost1
  • Soroush Shams1
  • Atefeh Shahbazi1
  • Atefeh Firozfar2
  • saeed saber-samandari3
  1. 1Department of Regenerative Medicine in Wound Healing, Medical Laser Research Center, YARA Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2Department of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3New Technologies Research Center (NTRC), Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
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Abstract

Diabetic wound healing remains a formidable clinical challenge due to persistent inflammation, impaired angiogenesis, elevated oxidative stress, and defective extracellular matrix remodeling. This review aims to comprehensively evaluate recent advancements in cell-laden hydrogels—serving as biomimetic 3D platforms—for accelerating diabetic wound repair. A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (covering studies up to 2026), focusing on natural, synthetic, and hybrid hydrogels incorporating stem cells, fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and endothelial cells. Synthesized findings indicate that these hydrogel matrices significantly enhance cell retention, viability, and paracrine activity within the hostile diabetic microenvironment; they drive therapeutic outcomes by modulating macrophage phenotypes (shifting from M1 to M2), promoting robust pro-angiogenic signaling, and accelerating re-epithelialization. However, analysis of current data regarding clinical translation reveals significant hurdles, including poor long-term post-transplantation cell survival, batch-to-batch variability, sterilization constraints, production scalability issues, and stringent regulatory barriers. Consequently, while cell-encapsulating hydrogels represent a highly promising approach for treating chronic diabetic wounds, successful clinical translation requires rigorous material standardization, deeper mechanistic validation, and well-designed clinical trials.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{haghdoost2026advanced,
  title = {{Advanced cell-laden hydrogels for diabetic wound healing: Biomaterial design, therapeutic mechanisms, and translational challenges}},
  author = {Fatemeh Haghdoost and Soroush Shams and Atefeh Shahbazi and Atefeh Firozfar and saeed saber-samandari},
  journal = {Iranian Journal of Burns and Wound Research},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.66224/ijbwr.2.3.79},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.66224/ijbwr.2.3.79},
  note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Advanced cell-laden hydrogels for diabetic wound healing: Biomaterial design, therapeutic mechanisms, and translational challenges
AU  - Fatemeh Haghdoost
AU  - Soroush Shams
AU  - Atefeh Shahbazi
AU  - Atefeh Firozfar
AU  - saeed saber-samandari
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/01
JO  - Iranian Journal of Burns and Wound Research
DO  - 10.66224/ijbwr.2.3.79
UR  - https://doi.org/10.66224/ijbwr.2.3.79
AB  - Diabetic wound healing remains a formidable clinical challenge due to persistent inflammation, impaired angiogenesis, elevated oxidative stress, and defective extracellular matrix remodeling. This review aims to comprehensively evaluate recent advancements in cell-laden hydrogels—serving as biomimetic 3D platforms—for accelerating diabetic wound repair. A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (covering studies up to 2026), focusing on natural, synthetic, and hybrid hydrogels incorporating stem cells, fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and endothelial cells. Synthesized findings indicate that these hydrogel matrices significantly enhance cell retention, viability, and paracrine activity within the hostile diabetic microenvironment; they drive therapeutic outcomes by modulating macrophage phenotypes (shifting from M1 to M2), promoting robust pro-angiogenic signaling, and accelerating re-epithelialization. However, analysis of current data regarding clinical translation reveals significant hurdles, including poor long-term post-transplantation cell survival, batch-to-batch variability, sterilization constraints, production scalability issues, and stringent regulatory barriers. Consequently, while cell-encapsulating hydrogels represent a highly promising approach for treating chronic diabetic wounds, successful clinical translation requires rigorous material standardization, deeper mechanistic validation, and well-designed clinical trials.
SN  - 3060-8414
ER  -