Advancements in Gelatin-Based Wound Dressings: Cross-Linking Techniques, Biocompatibility, and Biodegradability for Enhanced Angiogenesis and Healing

Ishita Singha¹, Bani Kumar Jana¹, Niva Rani Gogoi¹, Hemanta Pathak¹, Mohini Singh¹, Bhaskar Mazumder^1*

This review discusses the use of gelatin sponges for safer, more effective, and affordable wound dressings for improved clinical outcomes.

Abstract

Uncontrolled hemorrhage from wounds is a significant cause of morbidity, highlighting the need for rapid and effective hemostatic interventions. Wound dressings play a crucial role in managing blood loss and fluid exudation while supporting the dynamic wound-healing process. This process involves hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, angiogenesis, and remodeling to restore the skin's barrier function. Among available options, dry absorbable local hemostats offer practical advantages by absorbing wound exudates and promoting healing. Gelatin sponges, known for their hemostatic properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, are excellent candidates for wound dressings. They effectively stop bleeding and support tissue repair. However, gelatin’s inherent sensitivity to environmental conditions limits its direct application. To address these challenges, cross-linking techniques are employed to improve mechanical strength, hydrolysis resistance, and stability while refining the pore morphology of gelatin sponges for enhanced biomedical applications. Various cross-linkers, such as aldehydes, carbodiimides, reducing sugars, genipin, and acyl azides, have been investigated for gelatin modification. While glutaraldehyde achieves effective cross-linking, its high cytotoxicity restricts its use in biocompatible products. Alternatives like 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and genipin offer reduced cytotoxicity, though genipin's cost poses a limitation. Reducing sugars, such as glucose and fructose, provide a promising, non-toxic, and cost-effective solution for commercial-scale production. Optimizing cross-linking methods is essential for developing safe, effective, and affordable gelatin-based wound dressings. Addressing cross-linker toxicity remains critical to advancing their clinical applicability.

Keywords: Gelatin, Hemostats, Cross-linkers, Sponge, Inflammation, Angiogenesis, Wound healing.

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