壳聚糖是一种源自甲壳素的多功能生物聚合物，由于其独特的性质（例如生物相容性、生物可降解性和粘膜粘附性）而在各种生物医学应用中引起了广泛关注。本综述概述了壳聚糖及其衍生物在抗菌、抗癌、伤口愈合和组织工程领域的多种应用。在抗菌应用中，壳聚糖通过破坏微生物膜和 DNA 表现出有效的抗菌特性，使其成为一种有前途的天然防腐剂和抗细菌感染剂。它在癌症治疗中的作用涉及开发基于壳聚糖的纳米载体，用于靶向药物输送，提高治疗效果，同时最大限度地减少副作用。壳聚糖还通过促进细胞增殖、血管生成和调节炎症反应在伤口愈合中发挥至关重要的作用。此外，壳聚糖还可作为组织工程中的多功能支架，通过促进细胞粘附和增殖来促进软骨、骨和神经组织等多种组织的再生。本综述的全面范围不仅强调了壳聚糖在制药和生物医学科学中的广泛应用，而且还将其确立为未来生物医学研究的基本组成部分。

Chitosan, a versatile biopolymer derived from chitin, has garnered significant attention in various biomedical applications due to its unique properties, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mucoadhesiveness. This review provides an overview of the diverse applications of chitosan and its derivatives in the antibacterial, anticancer, wound healing, and tissue engineering fields. In antibacterial applications, chitosan exhibits potent antimicrobial properties by disrupting microbial membranes and DNA, making it a promising natural preservative and agent against bacterial infections. Its role in cancer therapy involves the development of chitosan-based nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery, enhancing therapeutic efficacy while minimising side effects. Chitosan also plays a crucial role in wound healing by promoting cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and regulating inflammatory responses. Additionally, chitosan serves as a multifunctional scaffold in tissue engineering, facilitating the regeneration of diverse tissues such as cartilage, bone, and neural tissue by promoting cell adhesion and proliferation. The extensive range of applications for chitosan in pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences is not only highlighted by the comprehensive scope of this review, but it also establishes it as a fundamental component for forthcoming research in biomedicine.