Multifunctional hydrogels for synergistic therapy of cutaneous melanoma-associated tumor recurrence and wound regeneration

Cutaneous melanoma is a highly aggressive malignant tumor originated from melanocytes, and its postoperative recurrence and metastatic risk seriously threaten patient survival. Traditional treatments like surgical resection and chemoradiotherapy can merely control the disease in the short term, which faces severe limitations such as immunosuppression of tumor microenvironments (TME), drug resistance and systemic toxicity. Local recurrence, wound infection, and slow healing are common challenges in melanoma post-operation. In recent years, synergistic therapeutic strategies based on multifunctional hydrogels have been at the forefront of research due to their exceptional biomaterial properties, such as high biocompatibility, programmable drug release and tissue regeneration support. Different types of complexes are utilized to synthesize multifunctional hydrogels in different oncology therapeutic application scenarios, and various novel preparation processes and powerful functional components are introduced. Hydrogels have the ability to achieve responsive-triggered precision drug delivery, forming a synergistic system in immunotherapy, radiotherapy and phototherapy, reverse the inhibitory TME, and exert powerful anti-tumor effects through multiple signaling pathways. In addition, its improved hydrophilicity and biomimetic microcellular structure could accelerate postoperative wound regeneration, and the combination of antimicrobial components can effectively prevent postoperative wound infections resulting from disturbed local immune microenvironment. In this paper, we systematically reviewed and summarized the cutting-edge advances of hydrogels used for treating cutaneous melanoma, focusing on their functionalized design, anti-tumor molecular mechanisms, immune microenvironment regulation, antibacterial efficacy and synergistic strategies of wound regeneration, with a view to providing theoretical basis and technical references for future clinical translation of tissue engineering materials for tumor-associated wounds.