Biomimetic and Synthetic Gels for Nanopharmaceutical Applications

This review discusses biocompatible hydrogels and stimuli-responsive 3D networking polymeric materials and building blocks of nanopharmaceuticals. We aimed to outline the basics of gels and hydrogels, responsive behaviors, and applications such as therapeutic and drug carriers, bioimaging agents, biosensing elements. The review also covers significant challenges, limitations, opportunities, new approaches, and future perspective. We review the general aspects of hydrogels to refresh the basic knowledge and theory that is covered in the section “General Properties of the Gels.” It discusses green synthesis of nanogels, swelling, and responsive and mechanical behavior of the gels. We also reviewed the broad applications of gels including therapeutic agent carriers, drug, protein, and genetic material delivery systems. In a separate section, biosensing and imaging applications have been reviewed from recent reports. Overall we highlighted advantages of hydrogels and their evolution that providing broad functionality, stability, and responsiveness as well as low toxicity. We also discussed the limitations and challenges as well as unique opportunities for developing alternative synthesis and processing strategies that revolutionize common understandings. In the last section, as closing remarks, the future needs in nanopharmaceutical applications have been elaborately articulated, and the combination of biomimetic-synthetic hydrogels and biocompatibility has been discussed.