Integrating Microbial Exopolysaccharides (EPS) with Growth Factors for Enhanced Antimicrobial and Angiogenic Wound Healing

Chronic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and pressure ulcers, represent a major clinical challenge due to persistent microbial infection, prolonged inflammation, impaired angiogenesis, and delayed tissue regeneration. Conventional wound care strategies often fail to address these interconnected pathological factors simultaneously, resulting in poor healing outcomes and high recurrence rates. Microbial exopolysaccharides (EPS) have emerged as promising biomaterials for wound healing due to their biocompatibility, moisture-retention capacity, antimicrobial barrier properties, and extracellular matrix-mimicking structure. In parallel, growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, and epidermal growth factor play essential roles in regulating angiogenesis, cell proliferation, and tissue remodeling. However, direct application of growth factors is limited by rapid degradation, poor localization, and uncontrolled release in protease-rich chronic wound environments. Integrating growth factors within EPS-based matrices offers a multifunctional therapeutic strategy that combines antimicrobial protection, structural support, and sustained pro-regenerative signaling. The EPS-GF composite systems enable localized and controlled growth factor delivery, promote neovascularization, enhance extracellular matrix deposition, and reduce microbial burden at the wound site. Preclinical studies consistently demonstrate accelerated wound closure and improved tissue quality using these integrated platforms compared to conventional dressings or single-component therapies. This review primarily focuses on bacteria-derived EPS, with limited discussion of selected fungal EPS relevant to wound healing applications., Also discusses their biological roles, strategies for their integration, mechanistic insights into their synergistic action, and recent preclinical advances. Despite their strong therapeutic potential, challenges related to large-scale production, growth factor stability, regulatory approval, clinical translation remain and must be addressed to enable widespread clinical adoption. Overall, EPS-GF composites represent a next-generation approach for advanced wound management with strong potential for clinical translation.