Smart Hydrogels: Therapeutic Advancements in Hydrogel Technology for Smart Drug Delivery Applications

Gabriel Goetten de Lima, Diwakar Kanwar, Derek Macken, Luke Geever, Declan M. Devine, Michael J.D. Nugent

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Hydrogels are a fusion of solid and liquid phases which closely mimic biological tissue. As such they have enormous potential for drug delivery systems as they are biocompatible and may be tailored to specific applications. The aim of this chapter is to look at the current research into hydrogels, technology development, and treatment, which has led to innovations in the field. The main focus of this chapter will be on smart hydrogels, which have enormous potential in various applications. Environmental variables, such as pH and temperatures, are found in the body, and either pH-sensitive and/or temperature-sensitive hydrogels can be used for sitespecific controlled drug delivery. There is an increasing focus in the biomedical industry on combination products, which incorporate drug delivery aspects, medical device and biologic aspects together. As such, we wish to draw attention to the future of hydrogels and demonstrate how smart hydrogel technology may be utilized.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationBioactive and Compatible Synthetic/Hybrid Polymers
PublisherJohn Wiley and Sons Ltd
Pages1-16
Number of pages16
Volume4
ISBN (Electronic)9781119041559
ISBN (Print)9781119041559, 9781119041467
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Nov 2015

Keywords

  • Drug delivery
  • Polymers
  • Smart hydrogels
  • Stimuli-responsive
  • Tissue engineering

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