Covalently Conjugated Hydrogelators for Imaging and Therapeutic Applications

In recent years, research on supramolecular hydrogels for biomedical applications developed rapidly by covalently conjugating their hydrogelators with functional moieties including therapeutic agents and imaging probes. Such conjugation can not only endow hydrogels with specific functions but also enhance the performance of the functional moieties. Therefore, these evolutionary conjugates may create a great leap for the application of supramolecular hydrogels in clinical scenarios, especially in a bioimaging or a sustained drug release system. In order to draw inspiration from the rapid advancement in this field and establish cornerstones for innovative exploration in the follow-up research, herein, we review the recent advances of the covalently conjugated hydrogelators and their biomedical applications in imaging and therapies. Besides, we provide our views on the remaining challenges and a perspective on future trends of conjugated hydrogelators.