Stimuli-responsive nanomaterials for wound healing: advances and emerging directions

In wound healing applications, conventional nanomaterials fail to precisely regulate the wound healing process because of the lack of dynamic adaptation to the wound microenvironment. Conversely, stimuli-responsive nanomaterials can respond to endogenous stimuli such as pH, enzymes, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and glucose, as well as exogenous stimuli such as light, electricity, and magnetism. Thus, stimuli-responsive nanomaterials can facilitate precise drug delivery and effectively treat wounds, and some of these materials can even achieve integrated diagnosis and treatment. Previous reviews have focused mainly on hydrogel carriers with stimuli-responsive properties. This review focuses on stimuli-responsive nanomaterials, classifies these materials on the basis of their stimulus sources, and systematically summarizes the response mechanisms, application outcomes, and design strategies of endogenous, exogenous, and dual stimuli-responsive nanomaterials applied in wound healing. Furthermore, this review explores the research gaps and future developments of stimuli-responsive nanomaterials for wound healing.