Preparation, thermal response mechanisms and biomedical applications of thermosensitive hydrogels for drug delivery

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Drug treatment is one of the main ways of coping with disease today. For the disadvantages of drug management, thermosensitive hydrogel is used as a countermeasure, which can realize the simple sustained release of drugs and the controlled release of drugs in complex physiological environments.

Areas covered

This paper talks about thermosensitive hydrogels that can be used as drug carriers. The common preparation materials, material forms, thermal response mechanisms, characteristics of thermosensitive hydrogels for drug release and main disease treatment applications are reviewed.

Expert opinion

When thermosensitive hydrogels are used as drug loading and delivery platforms, desired drug release patterns and release profiles can be tailored by selecting raw materials, thermal response mechanisms, and material forms. The properties of hydrogels prepared from synthetic polymers will be more stable than natural polymers. Integrating multiple thermosensitive mechanisms or different kinds of thermosensitive mechanisms on the same hydrogel is expected to realize the spatiotemporal differential delivery of multiple drugs under temperature stimulation. The industrial transformation of thermosensitive hydrogels as drug delivery platforms needs to meet some important conditions.

KEYWORDS:

• Thermosensitive hydrogels
• drug delivery
• hydrogel preparation methods
• thermosensitive mechanisms
• biomedical applications

Article highlights

• Thermosensitive hydrogels for drug delivery exist in many forms, including bulk hydrogels, microgels and nanogels, capsules, temperature-responsive nanoparticles, and nanofibers.

• The thermosensitive mechanisms of thermosensitive hydrogels for drug delivery include hydrogels with LCST characteristics, hydrogels with UCST characteristics and other types.

• Thermosensitive hydrogels can be used for traditional natural or synthetic drugs, gases, and bioactive agents (such as exosomes, active factors, etc.).

• Modification of units with targeting functions on thermosensitive hydrogels or increasing the tissue penetration of drugs through thermosensitive hydrogels can effectively increase the delivery efficiency of drugs.

• Combining thermosensitive hydrogels with other stimuli-responsive functions can achieve more excellent drug delivery performance.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China 51971171, 51973172, 52003216 and 82272155, Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi [2023-YBSF-150], Project of Supporting Young Talents in Shaanxi University Science and Technology Association [202044], China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [022M712506].