Weiquan Wu,1,* Bing Zhang,1,* Weiqi Wang,2 Qiujin Bu,3 Yuange Li,3 Peihua Zhang,2 Li Zeng1 

1Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Plastic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Peihua Zhang, Institute of Plastic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China, Email zhangph@gdmu.edu.cn Li Zeng, Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, People’s Republic of China, Email lzeng@must.edu.mo

Abstract: The incidence of chronic wounds is steadily increasing each year, yet conventional treatments for chronic wounds yield unsatisfactory results. The delayed healing of chronic wounds significantly affects patient quality of life, placing a heavy burden on patients, their families, and the healthcare system. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new treatment methods for chronic wounds. Plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (PELNs) may be able to accelerate chronic wound healing. PELNs possess advantages such as good accessibility (due in part to high isolation yields), low immunogenicity, and good stability. Currently, there are limited reports regarding the role of PELNs in chronic wound healing and their associated mechanisms, highlighting their novelty and the necessity for further research. This review aims to provide an overview of PELNs, discussing isolation methods, composition, and their mechanisms of action in chronic wound healing. Finally, we summarize future opportunities and challenges related to the use of PELNs for the treatment of chronic wounds, and offer some new insights and solutions.

Keywords: exosomes, exosome-like nanovesicles, plants, chronic wound healing