Tailoring the Swelling-Shrinkable Behavior of Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Hydrogels with tailored swelling properties are crucial for various biomedical applications, including wound healing and drug delivery.
• High swelling capacity hydrogels are used for absorption and nutrient transport, while non-swelling hydrogels offer dimensional stability for tissue adhesives and bioelectronics.
• Hydrogel shrinkage can drive wound closure and enhance scaffold resolution, also aiding drug release.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of hydrogel construction strategies for controlling swelling-shrinkable properties.
• To summarize the diverse biomedical applications of hydrogels based on their swelling-shrinkable characteristics.
• To offer insights into the current progress and future challenges for clinical translation of these hydrogels.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on hydrogel synthesis and modification techniques.
• Analysis of studies demonstrating the correlation between hydrogel structure and swelling-shrinkable behavior.
• Categorization of biomedical applications based on hydrogel swelling properties.

Main Results:

• Various tactics exist to precisely control hydrogel swelling and shrinkage.
• Hydrogels with different swelling behaviors are successfully applied in wound healing, tissue regeneration, drug delivery, and bioelectronics.
• Shrinkage can be harnessed for non-invasive wound closure and enhanced drug release.

Conclusions:

• Understanding and controlling hydrogel swelling-shrinkable properties is key to advancing their biomedical applications.
• Further research is needed to overcome challenges for successful clinical translation.
• This review provides a roadmap for developing next-generation hydrogels with tailored functionalities.