Recent Advances in Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Hydrogels are three-dimensional polymeric network, capable of entrapping substantial amounts of fluids. Hydrogels are formed due to physical or chemical cross-linking in different synthetic and natural polymers. Recently, hydrogels have been receiving much attention for biomedical applications due to their innate structure and compositional similarities to the extracellular matrix. Hydrogels fabricated from naturally derived materials provide an advantage for biomedical applications due to their innate cellular interactions and cellular-mediated biodegradation. Synthetic materials have the advantage of greater tunability when it comes to the properties of hydrogels. There has been considerable progress in recent years in addressing the clinical and pharmacological limitations of hydrogels for biomedical applications. The primary objective of this article is to review the classification of hydrogels based on their physical and chemical characteristics. It also reviews the technologies adopted for hydrogel fabrication and the different applications of hydrogels in the modern era.

Hydrogel: Responsive Structures for Drug Delivery

“…Molecule release occurs by the process of diffusion, as a function of porosity, degradation, or swelling of hydrogels. Physical crosslinking through ultraviolet radiation or thermal and ionic or covalent cross-linking methods can be employed to estimate the permeability and the swelling of hydrogel for the release of the model molecule [80][81][82]. The drug is incorporated into hydrogels and delivers to the oral cavity for local treatment of diseases of the mouth, such as stomatitis, fungal diseases, periodontal disease, viral infections, and oral cavity cancers.…”

Preparation, Characterization and Evaluation of Gellan Gum/Glycol Chitosan Based Baicalein Hydrogel for Wound Healing

“…It may distribute goods precisely for medical applications, particularly for managing wounds. After being administered, hydrogels come into contact with the aqueous environment, absorb water, swell, and release the medication [7].…”

Recent progress in thermosensitive hydrogels and their applications in drug delivery area

“…While at body temperature, it may store different hydrophilic and hydrophilic drugs in the matrix for prolonged release 14–16 . The sustained and targeted release of the bioactive component from the thermosensitive hydrogel overcome the challenges faced by the traditional drug administration routes and can be used as a promising candidate in drug delivery applications 17–20 …”

“…[14][15][16] The sustained and targeted release of the bioactive component from the thermosensitive hydrogel overcome the challenges faced by the traditional drug administration routes and can be used as a promising candidate in drug delivery applications. [17][18][19][20] Thermosensitive hydrogels are currently attracting global researchers due to their exceptional properties and biocompatibility. As a result, this review article focused on the background of thermosensitive hydrogels, their properties, and their applications in transdermal, oral, ophthalmic, cancer therapy, intravaginal, and cell-loaded drug delivery systems.…”