Introduction: With the accelerating global aging population and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases like diabetes, chronic hard-to-heal wounds (such as diabetic foot ulcers and pressure injuries) have become a major public health challenge. Traditional passive wound care is rapidly transforming into an active intervention and precise regulation paradigm known as "intelligent repair." From 2025 to early 2026, a series of breakthrough advancements in intelligent materials, regenerative medicine, clinical integration, and policy/market dynamics have emerged in the wound repair field, marking the industry's entry into a new era of patient-centered, multi-technology-driven precision therapy.
The intersection of materials science and biotechnology is transforming wound dressings from simple coverings into miniature intelligent platforms integrating diagnosis, treatment, and feedback.
Responsive Smart Hydrogels Become a Research Hotspot. A team from Fudan University and Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital developed an ultrasound-triggered nanocomposite "lever" hydrogel (FLHET) that can release antibacterial components in the early infection stage of diabetic foot ulcers based on the microenvironment, and later actively scavenge excess reactive oxygen species, exert anti-inflammatory effects, and promote angiogenesis, achieving 100% wound closure in animal experiments within 21 days. A review published in Advanced Materialsby Professor Guo Baolin's team at Xi'an Jiaotong University systematically summarized the design strategies for adaptive dressings, indicating that the next generation of dressings will sense changes in pH, specific enzymes, or biomarkers and respond intelligently.
Breakthroughs in Multifunctional Integration and Real-time Monitoring. A bile acid-derived slide-ring hydrogel (SR-Gel) dressing developed by institutions including South China University of Technology not only possesses extreme stretchability and tissue adhesion but can also independently monitor wound temperature, bleeding, and pressure signals by incorporating conductive nanoparticles, realizing the "dressing + therapy + monitoring" trifecta. A team from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore developed a thermogalvanic cell (TGC) based dressing that utilizes the natural temperature difference between the wound and the dressing to generate electrical stimulation promoting healing and wirelessly transmit wound potential data.
Continuous Innovation in Antibacterial and Healing-Promotion Mechanisms. A team from Huazhong University of Science and Technology used 3D micro-nano laser etching to create micro "drug reservoirs" on polyurethane material, increasing the antibiotic loading capacity of the dressing by 61 times, effectively killing Staphylococcus aureus, and accelerating wound healing in experimental mice. Professor Li Shaoxiang's team at Qingdao University of Science and Technology designed a core-shell structured hydrogel that intelligently releases antibacterial and anti-inflammatory components during the inflammatory phase (acidic environment) and reduces adhesion via UV light triggering during the repair phase (neutral environment), enabling painless removal and solving the "secondary trauma" problem during dressing changes.
Basic research and clinical translation of biological therapies such as stem cells and exosomes have significantly accelerated, providing powerful tools for functional tissue regeneration.
Clear Regulatory Pathway and Highlighted Clinical Value for Exosome Therapy. In December 2025, the China National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) explicitly defined "Sodium Hyaluronate Exosome Membrane Liquid Dressing" as a "drug-device combination product" for the first time, removing a key obstacle for the regulation and industrialization of exosome-based products. Research shows that mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes can effectively promote the proliferation, migration, and collagen remodeling of keratinocytes and fibroblasts by regulating signaling pathways such as TGF-β/Smad and Wnt/β-catenin, achieving high-quality healing and scar mitigation, making them ideal biological agents for wound repair.
Engineering Modifications Enhance Targeted Efficacy. A joint team from Northwestern Polytechnical University and Air Force Medical University equipped exosomes with a "navigation molecule" (aptamer) that specifically recognizes vascular endothelial cells and loaded them into a hyaluronic acid hydrogel, constructing an "Apt-EXOs-HA" intelligent delivery system. This system actively targets lesions in a type 1 diabetic mouse model, significantly promoting functional angiogenesis and accelerating wound healing.
Emergence of New Active Ingredients and Delivery Systems. The active peptide RL-QN15, discovered in the skin secretions of the pond frog by a team from Kunming Medical University, was proven to strongly promote the proliferation and migration of epidermal stem cells by activating the FZD8/β-catenin signaling axis, providing a novel target for developing new pro-regenerative drugs. Academician Li Xiaokun's team at Wenzhou Medical University developed a dynamically phase-adaptive hydrogel that responds to bacterial biofilm and microenvironment changes, enabling the sequential release of antibacterial components and anti-scarring factors, achieving rapid repair and scar inhibition in drug-resistant bacterial infection wound models in animals.
Facing complex wounds, a single discipline is no longer sufficient. Building multidisciplinary team (MDT) models and promoting standardized guidelines have become industry consensus.
Authoritative Academic Conferences Build Consensus. In 2025, several high-level academic conferences were held intensively. The "Wound Repair and Reconstruction Forum" hosted by Peking University First Hospital focused on grassroots challenges and international frontiers, discussing topics like limb salvage in diabetic foot and traditional Chinese medicine repair techniques. A seminar hosted by Peking University Third Hospital emphasized the wound treatment principle of "fastest speed, minimal cost, least pain, and best function". The Beijing Jishuitan Hospital's innovation seminar addressed discipline development under DRG payment reform and the standardized treatment of various refractory wounds.
Intensive Updates of Diagnosis/Treatment Guidelines and Expert Consensus. In 2025, important documents such as the Clinical Practice Guideline for Prevention and Treatment of Scars in Children (2025 Edition)and the Clinical Expert Consensus on Topical Growth Factors for Chronic Wounds (2025 Edition)were successively released, promoting the standardization of clinical practice. Meanwhile, treatment strategies for specific conditions like diabetic foot ulcers and venous ulcers have become more comprehensive and precise, emphasizing the dual-treatment concept of "revascularization and wound repair equally" and closed-loop management models integrating endocrinology, vascular surgery, wound repair, and other disciplines.
Grassroots Capacity Building and Specialty Development. Two-way referral and collaboration mechanisms between regional medical centers and primary healthcare institutions are being strengthened. For example, Peking University Third Hospital granted its Haidian Branch the title of "Diabetes Specialist Alliance [Wound Repair] Certified Unit," solidifying specialty development foundations. Areas like Yuhuan City in Zhejiang Province also held training sessions to enhance the diagnostic and treatment capabilities of grassroots medical staff for hard-to-heal wounds.
Driven by both demand and policy, China's wound care market continues to expand and is rapidly transitioning towards high-value-added products.
Sustained Market Growth and Structural Shift Towards High-End. Reports indicate that China's wound care market size exceeded 35 billion RMB in 2024 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 12.3% from 2026 to 2030. The share of traditional dressings is declining, while the share of high-end products like antimicrobial dressings, hydrocolloids, foam dressings, and bioactive dressings is rapidly increasing. By 2026, advanced wound dressings are projected to account for over 44% of the global market share.
Strong Policy Support for Innovation and Domestic Substitution. National policies like the "14th Five-Year Plan" for the Development of the Medical Equipment Industryexplicitly encourage the research and development of high-end medical dressings and intelligent wound management devices. The dynamic adjustment of the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) has gradually included some high-value wound care products, significantly improving patient accessibility. The green channel for innovative medical device approval by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has also accelerated the market entry of new products.
Active Capital Attention and Industry Consolidation. Smart dressings, biomaterials, and digital wound management platforms have become investment hotspots. Competition between international giants and domestic enterprises is intensifying. Domestic companies like ZhenDe Medical and Winner Medical are leveraging cost and channel advantages to accelerate their capture of the mid-range market and advance into the high-end segment.
Looking Ahead, the wound repair industry stands at the innovation frontier where smart materials, regenerative technologies, and digital healthcare converge. Evolving from passive "coverage" to active "repair," and from empirical "judgment" to data-driven "guidance," the technological advancements in this field aim to bring more efficient, precise, and affordable healing hope to every patient with chronic, hard-to-heal wounds. As more innovative products move from the laboratory to the clinic, a new era of more intelligent and personalized wound management has arrived.
