The authors examine current literature on peptide-based dressings, gels, and scaffolds, outlining how these molecules can accelerate closure, promote angiogenesis, and improve collagen organisation in acute and chronic wounds.  

Peptides discussed in the review are rarely extracted from human tissues. Instead, most are chemically synthesised in the laboratory using sequences inspired by human proteins such as collagen, growth factors, and antimicrobial peptides. This synthetic approach avoids donor-derived sourcing, supports large-scale manufacturing, and allows precise control over sequence and function. Other candidates originate from non-human sources, such as amphibian skin or marine organisms, but are modified to improve compatibility with human skin.  

According to the authors, peptide-based wound therapies have the advantage of targeting multiple barriers to healing at once. By modulating inflammation, inhibiting bacterial growth, and stimulating fibroblast migration, they address the complex microenvironment of chronic wounds more effectively than many single-function dressings. The review notes promising preclinical data but acknowledges that issues such as peptide stability, delivery optimisation, and cost-effectiveness remain key hurdles before broad clinical adoption.  

In regenerative aesthetics, such peptides hold potential not only for accelerating post-procedural healing but also for improving skin quality, reducing scarring, and supporting collagen remodelling after laser treatments, microneedling, or surgery.