2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (34): 7439-7446

Application of exosome-loaded hydrogel in nerve injury regeneration and wound healing

Yan Rui1, Wang Yiyu1, Liu Xue1, Jiang Yourong1, Cheng Huanzhi1, Ma Zhe2   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In recent studies, hydrogel loaded with exosomes has attracted wide attention as an emerging therapeutic strategy in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and is considered as a promising means for the treatment of nerve regeneration and wound healing.
OBJECTIVE: To review the application of hydrogel loaded with exosomes in nerve regeneration and wound healing and to provide reference and guidance for future research and clinical application.
METHODS: The first author used a computer in May 2024 to retrieve the relevant literature published from January 2000 to May 2024 on PubMed and CNKI, searching for “exosome, hydrogel, nerve, nerve regeneration, wound, wound healing” in Chinese and English, eventually incorporating 66 papers for analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Hydrogel loaded with exosomes provides a promising path for nerve injury repair by exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation, stimulating axon growth and myelin regeneration. (2) Exosome-loaded hydrogel suppresses the level of inflammation and oxidative stress, accelerates the proliferation and migration of skin cells, collagen expression, and promotes blood vessel formation, significantly accelerates the wound healing process, and improves the healing quality. (3) The role of hydrogel loaded with exosomes in nerve regeneration and wound repair is still limited to cell and animal experiments, and does not involve clinical practice. In the future, more mechanistic studies, safety evaluation, and supplementary related clinical trials are still needed in the future.

Key words: exosome, hydrogel, nerve, nerve regeneration, wound, wound healing, engineered hydrogel material