Microalgae: Emerging forces and prospects in the field of wound healing

Abstract

Viable microalgal cells have recently emerged as promising photosynthetic components of advanced wound healing systems because they can combine light-regulated oxygen generation, bioactive metabolite production, intrinsic imaging potential, and engineering flexibility within a single platform. In wounds with impaired or threatened healing such as burn wounds, traumatic full-thickness wounds, infected wounds, and chronic diabetic wounds, hypoxia, excessive inflammation, microbial burden, and impaired angiogenesis collectively hinder tissue repair and limit the efficacy of the currently employed therapies. In this review, the mechanistic basis and translational potential of microalgae in wound care is examined, with a focus on photosynthesis-driven oxygenation, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities, antioxidant effects, immunomodulation, and bioimaging capability. We further summarize how viable microalgal cells or cell-derived products have been incorporated into hydrogels, three-dimensional bioprinted scaffolds, microneedles, electrospun matrices, coatings, and other biohybrid systems to achieve localized oxygen delivery, therapeutic molecule release, and multifunctional wound intervention. Importantly, we discuss the wound type-specific suitability of different microalgae-based platforms and critically compare them with existing oxygenation and antimicrobial strategies. We also highlight key barriers to clinical translation, including immune-mediated clearance, uncertain long-term survival and photosynthetic persistence in hostile wound microenvironments, limited light penetration, biosafety concerns, and challenges in manufacturing and standardization. Overall, microalgae-based wound therapeutics represent a highly promising but still early-stage strategy, and future progress will depend on mechanism-driven design, rigorous in vivo validation, and clinically relevant translational frameworks.