ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Vaccines and Molecular Therapeutics
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancing Tissue Repair: Immunomodulatory Bioactive Hydrogels and Immune Cell InteractionsView all 8 articles
A Shikonin-Based Hydrogel Dressing Exhibiting Synergistic Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Angiogenic, and Anti-Fibrotic Effects for the Prevention of Hypertrophic Scars
Provisionally accepted
Ziyu Wang1,2
Yujie Zhao1,2
Zhoujiang Qu1,2Hui Wang1Yuling Zhang1Yufang Liu1Chengde Li2*
Kun Wang1*Guoqi Cao1*- 1Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, China
- 2Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China
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The management and prevention of hypertrophic scars present significant challenges in clinical medicine. The development of hypertrophic scars primarily results from angiogenesis, localized inflammatory responses, and the excessive deposition of collagen during the wound healing process. Given the practical requirements for clinical applications, the development of a multifunctional dressing that exhibits synergistic effects and adapts to wounds of diverse shapes is of paramount importance. Hydrogels have emerged as promising biomaterials in dermatological applications due to their excellent biocompatibility, injectability, and strong adhesion. Shikonin (SHI), a compound derived from traditional Chinese medicine, exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that facilitate wound healing. It is posited that SHI possesses diverse pharmacological potential for the prevention and treatment of scars. Based on these characteristics, this study developed a methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) dressing incorporated with shikonin. By utilizing GelMA's superior biological properties, the dressing enhances the therapeutic efficacy of shikonin on hypertrophic scars while addressing challenges related to drug release kinetics. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the SHI-GelMA dressing exhibits favorable biocompatibility. Importantly, both in vitro and in vivo studies consistently indicated that SHI-GelMA synergistically prevents and inhibits hypertrophic scar formation through shikonin's principal anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-fibrotic mechanisms. In summary, we have successfully developed a functional wound dressing that incorporates the diverse bioactivities of shikonin, offering novel materials and strategies for the synergistic prevention and treatment of hypertrophic scars.
Keywords: Anti-angiogenic, Anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory, GelMA, Hypertrophic scars, Shikonin
Received: 31 Oct 2025; Accepted: 11 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Zhao, Qu, Wang, Zhang, Liu, Li, Wang and Cao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Chengde Li
Kun Wang
Guoqi Cao
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