Innovative Systems from Clickable Biopolymer-Based Hydrogels for Drug Delivery

Biopolymer-based hydrogels have emerged as suitable systems for sustained and targeted drug delivery due to their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, hydrophilicity, and tunable microstructure. Even if the use of natural polymers as materials is not new, their use in hydrogel formulations has dramatically grown over the last 10 years. Owing to their chemical versatility, several synthetic approaches can be followed for the design of advanced functionalized materials. The high reactivity, orthogonality, regioselectivity, and mild reaction conditions of “click” reactions render them especially suitable for hydrogel cross-linking. These features are particularly advantageous for the design of drug delivery systems as they prevent interferences with encapsulated drugs or biomolecules while respecting the biocompatibility of the material. The use of click chemistry for the design of biopolymer-based drug delivery systems opens new avenues for the substitution of petroleum-derived polymers and the use of more environmentally friendly chemistries in the pharmaceutical industry.