Research Advances in Therapeutic Strategies and Drug Delivery Systems for Pathological Scars

January 2026 in “ Pharmaceutics ”

Yuxin Shi, Ling Li

Studysummary This review reports that biomaterial-based drug delivery systems show promise in overcoming the limitations of traditional therapies for pathological scars by integrating sustained drug release with minimally invasive transdermal technologies, potentially enhancing treatment efficacy for these challenging skin lesions. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

Recent advancements in therapeutic strategies for pathological scars focus on innovative drug delivery systems, such as microneedles, hydrogels, and nanoplatforms, which enhance the efficacy of treatments by targeting specific signaling pathways involved in scar formation. These systems, including biomaterial-based delivery methods like nanoparticles, offer sustained and targeted drug delivery, improving outcomes for conditions like keloids and hypertrophic scars. Promising therapies include TGF-β pathway inhibitors, photodynamic therapy, and regenerative medicine using stem cells. Despite these advancements, challenges remain in clinical translation, necessitating further research and large-scale clinical trials to confirm efficacy and safety.

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