Engineered cerium oxide nanoparticles conjugated with carrier platforms: Therapeutic mechanisms for skin wound healing applications.

Abstract

Wound healing is a complex process influenced by oxidative stress, inflammation, microbial infection, and limited angiogenesis. Conventional therapies often fail to address these multifactorial barriers, prompting the need for advanced, multifunctional platforms. This review summarizes recent advances in cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂ NPs) combined with carrier platforms, providing a mechanistic framework for their wound-healing applications. Unlike earlier reviews focusing on either NPs or carrier platforms alone, this work integrates both areas to show how CeO₂ NPs in hydrogels, nanofibers, cryogels, and composites improve release control, biocompatibility, and targeted therapeutic performance. The review highlights CeO₂ NPs' reversible Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ cycling, enabling reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, inflammation control, antibacterial action, and angiogenesis promotion. It categorizes wound types (diabetic, burn, infected, and post-surgical) and maps CeO₂ NP-based interventions to their corresponding pathological features, providing translational insights for clinical applications. Furthermore, it discusses synthesis methods, physicochemical characterization, and biological mechanisms, serving as a strategic resource for both researchers and clinicians. By bridging nanomedicine and regenerative biomaterials, this review presents a framework for designing smart wound-healing systems that address molecular dysfunction and structural repair, guiding future research toward both clinical translation, personalized therapies and the optimization of NP- carrier platforms interactions. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The development of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂ NPs) conjugated with carrier platforms has opened new avenues for skin wound healing. These nanoplatforms have demonstrated significant potential in reducing oxidative stress, suppressing inflammation, preventing infection, and promoting angiogenesis, thereby accelerating tissue regeneration and enhancing therapeutic efficacy. While most existing reviews have emphasized the individual effects of nanoparticles, the synergistic benefits arising from delivery-system conjugation have often been overlooked. This review comprehensively summarizes studies describing the mechanistic roles of CeO₂-based delivery platforms in advanced wound-healing applications. Furthermore, synthesis strategies, physicochemical characteristics, and biological mechanisms are discussed. Finally, A concise commentary on future prospects for researchers across regenerative medicine and biomedical science.