Issue 5, 2024

Injectable hydrogels as emerging drug-delivery platforms for tumor therapy

Abstract

Tumor therapy continues to be a prominent field within biomedical research. The development of various drug carriers has been propelled by concerns surrounding the side effects and targeting efficacy of various chemotherapeutic drugs and other therapeutic agents. These carriers strive to enhance drug concentration at tumor sites, minimize systemic side effects, and improve therapeutic outcomes. Among the reported delivery systems, injectable hydrogels have emerged as an emerging candidate for the in vivo delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs due to their minimal invasive drug delivery properties. This review systematically summarizes the composition and preparation methodologies of injectable hydrogels and further highlights the delivery mechanisms of diverse drugs using these hydrogels for tumor therapy, along with an in-depth discussion on the optimized therapeutic efficiency of drugs encapsulated within the hydrogels. The work concludes by providing a dynamic forward-looking perspective on the potential challenges and possible solutions of the in situ injectable hydrogels for non-surgical and real-time diagnostic applications.

Graphical abstract: Injectable hydrogels as emerging drug-delivery platforms for tumor therapy

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
11 Nov 2023
Accepted
23 Jan 2024
First published
30 Jan 2024

Biomater. Sci., 2024,12, 1151-1170

Injectable hydrogels as emerging drug-delivery platforms for tumor therapy

Y. Cheng, H. Zhang, H. Wei and C. Yu, Biomater. Sci., 2024, 12, 1151 DOI: 10.1039/D3BM01840G

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