Recent Advances in Polymer-Based Immunomodulatory Nanomaterials for Wound Healing

Dynamic interactions among cells, including immune cells, stromal cells, endothelial cells, epithelial cells, and extracellular matrix (ECM) components, are involved in the wound healing process. In chronic wounds, particularly diabetic wounds, these interactions are hampered by prolonged inflammation and excessive reactive oxygen species generation by dysregulated immune cells, bacterial infection, and impaired angiogenesis. These pathological features have shifted the therapeutic strategies from wound coverage and antimicrobial protection toward regulation of the immune microenvironment. Polymeric and hybrid materials have emerged as promising platforms for this purpose because their versatile composition, structure, degradation behavior, mechanical properties, and drug loading capacities can be widely engineered to match the dynamic requirements of wound healing, particularly in immunomodulation strategies. In this review, we focus on the major immunological barriers and potential targets in the wound healing process using polymer-based materials. Overall, this review covers recent advances, design strategies, and challenges in immunomodulatory materials including polymer-based nanoparticles, nanofibers, hydrogels, and hybrid materials for wound repair.