Developments on the Smart Hydrogel-Based Drug Delivery System for Oral Tumor Therapy

Abstract

At present, an oral tumor is usually treated by surgery combined with preoperative or postoperative radiotherapies and chemotherapies. However, traditional chemotherapies frequently result in substantial toxic side effects, including bone marrow suppression, malfunction of the liver and kidneys, and neurotoxicity. As a new local drug delivery system, the smart drug delivery system based on hydrogel can control drug release in time and space, and effectively alleviate or avoid these problems. Environmentally responsive hydrogels for smart drug delivery could be triggered by temperature, photoelectricity, enzyme, and pH. An overview of the most recent research on smart hydrogels and their controlled-release drug delivery systems for the treatment of oral cancer is given in this review. It is anticipated that the local drug release method and environment-responsive benefits of smart hydrogels will offer a novel technique for the low-toxicity and highly effective treatment of oral malignancy.

Recent Advances in Hydrogel-Based Phototherapy for Tumor Treatment

“…The distinctive characteristics of the tumor microenvironment, such as changes in overexpression of certain proteins and enzymes, acidic pH, hyperthermia, and redox potential have captured the attention of researchers who seek to utilize stimulus-responsive hydrogels, commonly known as smart hydrogels, for tumor treatment [ 62 , 63 ]. In contrast to conventional hydrogels, smart hydrogels have the unique ability to alter their physical or mechanical properties, such as swelling, shrinking, and undergoing a phase transition, in response to various stimuli, and thus make them suitable for various biomedical applications [ 64 ].…”

Hydrogels in Dental Medicine

“…[276] Furthermore, smart hydrogels can be developed to respond to different stimuli, such as pH, heat, light, and enzymes, enabling controlled release in the affected site of oral cancer. [277] For chemotherapy, Shtenberg et al prepared a hydrogel drug delivery system with adhesive properties consisting of a mixture of alginate and liposomes to provide long-term release of the anticancer drug DOX. [278] Bhardwaj et al designed a novel gellanand lipid-based dual NP-in-ion-triggered mucoadhesive hydrogel to improve the targeted delivery of radiosensitizers (cisplatin and paclitaxel).…”

“…[ 276 ] Furthermore, smart hydrogels can be developed to respond to different stimuli, such as pH, heat, light, and enzymes, enabling controlled release in the affected site of oral cancer. [ 277 ]…”

Photo‐Controllable Smart Hydrogels for Biomedical Application: A Review

“…[96] The photothermal agent fixed in the hydrogel under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation can convert light energy into heat energy. [97,98] A slight increase in local temperature (41 to 43 °C) does not cause any damage to cells, but instead promotes tissue regeneration, [99] such as cell proliferation, [100] angiogenesis, [101] wound healing, [100] and bone regeneration. [102,103] It is frequently used in tumor therapy because a moderate local temperature increase (45-50 °C) can increase blood vessel and cell membrane permeability and cause rapid irreversible cell damage through exogenous or endogenous mitochondrial apoptosis pathway death at higher temperatures in this range.…”