Advances in nanocellulose hydrogels for wound dressing and healing therapy: a review

With accelerating advances in regenerative medicine and wound-healing technologies, developing materials that are biocompatible, effective, and that enhance tissue regeneration has become a pivotal focus. Nanocellulose, an emerging natural polymer nanomaterial with high specific surface area, tunable surface chemistry, excellent mechanical properties, and good biocompatibility, is an ideal scaffold for functional hydrogel dressings. This review discusses the main types of nanocellulose, including Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNC), Cellulose Nanofibers(CNF), and Bacterial Nanocellulose (BNC), their preparation methods, and structural characteristics. Given the unique advantages of nanocellulose-based hydrogels in wound treatment, this review summarizes construction strategies, performance-tuning mechanisms, and multifunctional applications in wound healing, focusing on accelerating wound closure, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, promoting angiogenesis, and controlled drug release. It also compares the biological properties of different nanocellulose hydrogels, highlighting that by rationally adjusting network structures, introducing functional components, and constructing composite systems, their mechanical stability and bioactivity can be significantly improved. Finally, this review discusses challenges in large-scale preparation, long-term biocompatibility assessment, and clinical translation, and looks forward to future development toward smart, personalized wound management and tissue regeneration.