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Radiation dermatitis (RD) remains a prevalent and challenging adverse effect of radiotherapy in cancer patients, significantly impairing patient quality of life and potentially interrupting treatment regimens. In recent years, the development of biopolymer-based hydrogels has emerged as a promising strategy for preventing and managing RD. Among these, alginate and chitosan-based hydrogels have attracted considerable attention due to their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and wound-healing properties. This comprehensive review highlights the therapeutic efficacy of alginate/chitosan composite hydrogels in RD management. The unique physicochemical characteristics of these hydrogels, including moisture retention, oxygen permeability, and controlled drug release capabilities, make them ideal candidates for treating radiation-induced skin injuries. Mechanistically, these hydrogels exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects while promoting re-epithelialization and collagen, which are critical in skin repair. Preclinical studies revealed significantly reduced RD severity scores and histopathological improvements following hydrogel application. Although clinical translation remains limited, initial trials showed promising outcomes in human subjects. Overall, alginate/chitosan hydrogels represent an effective system with immense potential to revolutionize RD management in oncological care.
Strengthening research capacity in Africa is vital for tackling pressing health, educational and socioeconomic challenges facing the continent. At the core of this effort is the cultivation of innovative research leaders through postgraduate training programmes that incorporate mentorship-infused supervision. Such models have demonstrated potential in improving research skills, boosting academic productivity and fostering leadership development among emerging scholars. This systematic review and meta-synthesis protocol aims to examine existing mentorship-infused supervision practices across African higher education institutions. The review seeks to identify effective models, uncover common challenges and barriers, and generate evidence-based recommendations to develop sustainable, contextually relevant strategies. Insights from this work will inform policies and practices to enhance postgraduate research training, advance research leadership and contribute to the broader goal of strengthening research ecosystems across Africa.
A systematic review and thematic meta-synthesis will be undertaken, focusing on qualitative research studies as well as the qualitative components of mixed-methods studies. Relevant studies published in English will be identified through a comprehensive search strategy. The electronic databases, including Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, African Journals Online, EMBASE and CINAHL, will be searched to capture a wide range of peer-reviewed articles and grey literature. Databases will be searched from March 2026. Two reviewers will independently perform study selection, data extraction, quality assessment and evaluation of risk of bias, using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist.
This systematic review and meta-synthesis will analyse publicly available literature and does not require ethical approval, as it involves no primary data collection. It will adhere to established ethical and methodological standards, including proper citation and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The findings will be widely disseminated through open-access journal publication, conference presentations and targeted reports for universities, research institutions and policymakers to inform and support mentorship-based postgraduate research supervision across Africa.
CDR420251049878. Available from https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251049878.
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