Programmable self-gelling hydrogel powders: from hemostatic dressings to integrated therapeutic platforms for complex wound management
- 1Institute of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- 2Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Prevention and New Materials, Shanxi Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Taiyuan, 030001 China
Abstract
Irregular, complex, and mechanically incompressible wounds present significant clinical challenges due to difficulties in achieving effective sealing, stable hemostasis, and rapid tissue regeneration. Recently, self-gelling hydrogel powders have emerged as a promising functional material, attracting extensive attention for their ability to undergo rapid in situ gelation upon contact with physiological fluids within seconds. This addresses key limitations of conventional hemostatic dressings, such as slow activation kinetics, poor tissue conformability, and limited multifunctional integration for wound healing. Facilitated by advanced material strategies, including physical, chemical, and multi-level cooperative crosslinking, these powders achieve enhanced microenvironment sensitivity, rapid phase transition, and multifunctional synergy. This progress signifies a pivotal shift from passive adsorption to active, responsive intelligent gelation systems. Preclinical studies demonstrate their efficacy in high-risk bleeding scenarios, traumatic brain injury repair, infected wound management, and deep tissue regeneration, significantly broadening their application in complex wound care. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in self-gelling hydrogel powders, focusing on material innovation, gelation kinetics, and biocompatibility. It also discusses translational challenges including safety, scalability, and spatiotemporal control. Finally, a forward-looking framework is proposed for next-generation hydrogel powders, emphasizing programmable gelation, modular design, and dynamic adaptation to wound microenvironments to bridge laboratory innovation with clinical practice.
Graphical Abstract:
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BibTeX
@article{zhao2026programmable,
title = {{Programmable self-gelling hydrogel powders: from hemostatic dressings to integrated therapeutic platforms for complex wound management}},
author = {Xiaoyan Zhao and He Wang and Zhao Chang and Xiuyun Ren and Bin Zhao},
journal = {Journal of Nanobiotechnology},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12951-026-04864-7},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04864-7},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Programmable self-gelling hydrogel powders: from hemostatic dressings to integrated therapeutic platforms for complex wound management
AU - Xiaoyan Zhao
AU - He Wang
AU - Zhao Chang
AU - Xiuyun Ren
AU - Bin Zhao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/08
JO - Journal of Nanobiotechnology
DO - 10.1186/s12951-026-04864-7
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04864-7
AB - Irregular, complex, and mechanically incompressible wounds present significant clinical challenges due to difficulties in achieving effective sealing, stable hemostasis, and rapid tissue regeneration. Recently, self-gelling hydrogel powders have emerged as a promising functional material, attracting extensive attention for their ability to undergo rapid in situ gelation upon contact with physiological fluids within seconds. This addresses key limitations of conventional hemostatic dressings, such as slow activation kinetics, poor tissue conformability, and limited multifunctional integration for wound healing. Facilitated by advanced material strategies, including physical, chemical, and multi-level cooperative crosslinking, these powders achieve enhanced microenvironment sensitivity, rapid phase transition, and multifunctional synergy. This progress signifies a pivotal shift from passive adsorption to active, responsive intelligent gelation systems. Preclinical studies demonstrate their efficacy in high-risk bleeding scenarios, traumatic brain injury repair, infected wound management, and deep tissue regeneration, significantly broadening their application in complex wound care. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in self-gelling hydrogel powders, focusing on material innovation, gelation kinetics, and biocompatibility. It also discusses translational challenges including safety, scalability, and spatiotemporal control. Finally, a forward-looking framework is proposed for next-generation hydrogel powders, emphasizing programmable gelation, modular design, and dynamic adaptation to wound microenvironments to bridge laboratory innovation with clinical practice. Graphical Abstract:
SN - 1477-3155
ER -