Tailored polymeric hydrogels for regenerative medicine and drug delivery: From material design to clinical...

Polymeric hydrogels are hydrophilic polymer networks capable of absorbing and retaining large amounts of water or biological fluids, making them highly suitable for biomedical applications. This manuscript presents a comprehensive overview of their fundamental properties, including swelling behavior, biocompatibility, biodegradability, mechanical strength, crosslinking density, and stimuli-responsiveness, which collectively determine their clinical performance. A variety of natural and synthetic polymers are explored in the design of hydrogels, each offering distinct advantages for specific biomedical uses. The clinical versatility of polymeric hydrogels is examined across multiple application areas, including wound healing, bone regeneration, joint therapy, tissue engineering, ophtalmologie, dental medicine, drug delivery systems, and hearing-related treatments. Furthermore, this review presents real-world hydrogel-based products already in clinical use and highlights current innovations and clinical trials that are extending the frontiers of hydrogel technology. Despite these advancements, challenges like scalability, reproducibility in clinical outcomes, regulatory hurdles, and long-term safety are critically assessed, along with emerging opportunities that may shape the future of hydrogel-based therapies. By integrating materials science with clinical perspectives, this review aims to support the development and translation of advanced polymeric hydrogel systems into modern medicine.