Smart Wound Dressings

Dear Colleagues,

Although wound healing mechanisms have been widely unraveled, proper and timely wound closure is yet challenging. While traditional wound dressings work well under physiological healing conditions, wound closure is still very hard to achieve in cases of impaired or dysfunctional healing, such as in chronic wounds (e.g., diabetic foot ulcers) and extensive full-thickness burns. Bacterial infections are common complications that worsen the damage; delay the healing process; and, if not properly managed, may induce life-threatening sepsis. Furthermore, even when wound closure is achieved, excessive scar formation and contracture may be obtained, which result in esthetic and functional impairment.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight some of the most recent scientific and technological advances in the development of smart or active wound dressings. Since the wound environment is highly dynamic, smart dressings are required to monitor the healing process and respond to it in a prompt and appropriate manner (e.g., by delivering antibiotics, drugs, or other bioactive molecules). These active devices should be able to orchestrate the biological processes needed for healing while fighting potential infections and reducing scar formation and contracture. Moreover, ideal wound management demands dressings that perfectly fit the wound site and allow for non-traumatic and fast dressing changes.

Topics of interest for this Special Issue deal with the development of flexible and responsive materials, (bio)sensors, and/or integrated devices suitable for the creation of advanced wound dressings. In order to provide guidance to clinical translation, the regulatory requirements regarding quality and safety of the devices are also of interest.

Dr. Marta Madaghiele
Dr. Christian Demitri
Guest Editors

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