title: Advances in hydrogels applied to degenerative diseases.
abstract: Hydrogels are currently applied in the treatment of numerous degenerative diseases because of their three dimensional (3D) nature, high water content and wide range of polymers that can be used for their fabrication. Hydrogels have been investigated and commercialized, for example, as soft contact lens-based ophthalmic drug delivery systems. These novel devices improved the bioavailability of ophthalmic drugs and their residence time. Hydrogels are also being investigated to facilitate and augment targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic agents. This approach minimizes significantly the side effects associated with conventional administration of anti-cancer therapeutics. The application of hydrogels as 3D scaffold has recently gained momentum because they can mimic key features of the extracellular matrix. For this reason, hydrogels are representing a viable alternative to traditional tumor xenograft in cancer biology studies. This review highlights recent advances in the development of hydrogels that are applied in degenerative diseases such as ocular, cancer, spine and cartilage degenerative pathologies.
authors.affiliation: ARC Center of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia. damia.mawad@unswalumni.com
authors.forename: Damia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mawad
authors.forename: Elizabeth Anne
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Boughton
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boughton
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lauto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D020100:Hydrogels; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations