Pro-Regenerative Hydrogel Restores Scarless Skin During Cutaneous Wound Healing

The document presents a study on a dextran-based bioabsorbable hydrogel, DexIEME, which was found to promote scarless skin regeneration during cutaneous wound healing. The hydrogel was shown to enhance the M2 macrophage phenotype, which is associated with anti-inflammatory responses and constructive tissue remodeling. In murine models, 75% of hydrogel-treated scars showed hair regrowth after 5 weeks, while untreated scars did not. In porcine models, the hydrogel-treated wounds exhibited more adipose tissue and less fibrosis, indicating full skin regeneration. The study involved analyzing 6 macrophages per condition and used 4 pigs in the full skin injury model. The findings suggest that DexIEME hydrogel could significantly advance tissue engineering and regenerative medicine by reducing scar formation and regenerating complete skin structures, including hair follicles.