Biomedical Aerogels in Wound Healing: Therapeutic Strategies and Translational Insights

Wound healing is a complex, highly orchestrated process involving hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. While acute wounds typically progress through these phases efficiently, chronic wounds—such as diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, and venous leg ulcers—often stagnate due to persistent bacterial colonization, excessive inflammation, impaired angiogenesis, and reduced extracellular matrix deposition. These pathological features lead to prolonged healing, high recurrence rates, and substantial socioeconomic burdens, which are further exacerbated by global aging, rising diabetes prevalence, and lifestyle-related comorbidities. Conventional wound dressings, including gauze, films, hydrocolloids, and hydrogels, exhibit limitations in infection control, sustained moisture balance, controlled therapeutic release, and adaptability to irregular wound surfaces. Aerogels, a class of ultralightweight, highly porous materials with porosity exceeding 90% and an exceptional surface area, have emerged as promising candidates for advanced wound care. Their unique structure enables superior exudate management, tunable mechanical compliance, and efficient loading of bioactive agents. Composed of inorganic, biopolymeric, or composite matrices, aerogels can be functionalized with antimicrobial nanoparticles, growth factors, or photothermal agents to integrate rapid hemostasis, infection control, immune modulation, and regenerative stimulation within a single platform. However, translational challenges remain, including variability in biodegradation, long-term biocompatibility concerns for certain inorganic systems, high production costs, and scale-up difficulties. This review summarizes recent advances in aerogel-based wound dressings, functionalization strategies, and preclinical evidence while critically analyzing barriers to clinical translation. By bridging multidisciplinary insights, we aim to guide the development of multifunctional aerogel dressings toward precision, intelligent wound care solutions.