Title : The pH-sensitive natural polymers in wound healing drug delivery
Abstract:
Full-thickness wounds are a growing problem due to high costs and complications. pH variations in the wound healing process are divided into four stages: homeostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and regeneration. The transition from the inflammatory phase to the proliferative phase leads to a gradual increase in pH from 5.7 to 7.6. pH-responsive natural polymers based on functional groups can accept or release protons in response to environmental pH changes and increase smart drug delivery systems. Keratin with its unique biological properties has been widely developed in wound healing applications. Recently, a smart antibacterial biomaterial based on keratin hydrogel with pH-dependent behaviour and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoplates as a biocide agent resulted in the release of ZnO nanoparticles for wound healing. Alginate is a natural polysaccharide, biocompatible, and non-toxic that has been introduced as a suitable option for smart drug delivery. Recently, alginate-based microparticles have been studied for pH-sensitive for sustainable release of drugs in wound healing applications. Chitosan is a non-toxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymer with natural pH-responsive properties. Chitosan pH-responsive hydrogels have the potential as a non- toxic transdermal nobiletin delivery carrier for the treatment of skin lesions such as acne. Hyaluronic acid (HA), a natural polysaccharide, plays important physiological and biological roles in the human body. HA contains carboxyl groups with a pKa in the range of 3-4 and has been used to develop pH-responsive systems. A pH-responsive hydrogel based on hyaluronic acid has been investigated to deliver isoliquiritigenin (ILTG), an antimicrobial therapeutic agent, to inhibit acne growth. It was found that the hydrogel has excellent skin permeability of ILTG, which penetrated mostly via the follicular pathway.
Audience Take Away:
- Introduction of polymers with pH-sensitive properties for wound healing
- Identification and control of all types of infections with their changes in pH
- Application of nanoparticles in improving wound healing process
