• pH sensitive smart wound dressings for advanced management of diabetic wounds
  • fatemeh haghdoost,1 Saeed SaberSamandari,2,*
    1. New Technologies Research Center, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
    2. New Technologies Research Center, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran


  • Introduction: Smart dressings with self-adaptive capabilities are able to regulate wound moisture, deliver drugs directly to the wound site, and continuously monitor wound status. These features help reduce healing time, prevent infection, and reduce patient pain and discomfort. Smart wound dressings are expected to address the needs of each stage and respond effectively and appropriately to environmental changes. These wound dressings can interact with the wound environment, reflect changes during the wound healing process, control wound infection, prevent the formation of chronic wounds, and facilitate wound healing. Therefore, in this study, the purpose of designing and developing smart wound dressings as well as the status, progress, challenges, and future trends of this field will be presented.
  • Methods: Smart wound dressings typically involve hydrogel-based materials designed with stimuli-responsive polymers that react to changes in the wound’s pH levels—one of the key biochemical parameters indicating the wound status. Diabetic wounds exhibit pH variations reflecting infection or inflammation, with acidic shifts indicating infection and alkaline shifts correlating to chronic, non-healing states.
  • Results: PH-triggered release systems minimize side effects and increase the efficacy of antimicrobials and growth promoters by releasing them in response to wound condition changes. Real-time pH sensing allows early detection of infection and inflammation, facilitating timely clinical intervention and personalized treatment adaptation.In addition, Smart dressings can regulate immune cell function and inflammatory cytokine profiles, promoting a balanced immune environment that supports tissue regeneration. Experimental results show improved fibroblast proliferation, angiogenesis, and collagen deposition in diabetic wound models treated with pH-responsive hydrogels.
  • Conclusion: pH sensitive smart wound dressings represent a transformative approach to diabetic wound management, offering responsive, controlled therapy delivery alongside vital wound monitoring capabilities. By closely interacting with wound biochemistry and physiology, these advanced materials promote faster, safer healing and reduce infection risks, addressing the complex needs of diabetic wounds beyond the capacity of traditional dressings.
  • Keywords: Smart dressings, pH sensitive, drug release,