Nanocomposite Hydrogels: 3D Polymer-Nanoparticle Synergies for On-Demand Drug Delivery.
Considerable progress in the synthesis and technology of hydrogels makes these materials attractive structures for designing controlled-release drug delivery systems. In particular, this review highlights the latest advances in nanocomposite hydrogels as drug delivery vehicles. The inclusion/incorporation of nanoparticles in three-dimensional polymeric structures is an innovative means for obtaining multicomponent systems with diverse functionality within a hybrid hydrogel network. Nanoparticle-hydrogel combinations add synergistic benefits to the new 3D structures. Nanogels as carriers for cancer therapy and injectable gels with improved self-healing properties have also been described as new nanocomposite systems.
†Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnologías Químicas-IRICA, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
Sonia
S
Merino
†Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnologías Químicas-IRICA, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
Cristina
C
Martín
Kostas
K
Kostarelos
§Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
Maurizio
M
Prato
†Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnologías Químicas-IRICA, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
Ester
E
Vázquez
D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
D004337:Drug Carriers; D020100:Hydrogels; D011108:Polymers
external field; hydrogel; nanocomposite; nanogel; nanoparticle; on-demand delivery; self-healing; stimuli-response