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Leveraging Self-Healing Hydrogels for Cancer Management: Synthesis, Targeting Strategies, and Clinical Progress
Vaibhav Dhumal1, Rahul Nair1, Bharath Manoharan1
1Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad 500037, India.
Abstract:
Cancer has become a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with an estimated 20 million cases and 9.7 million deaths reported globally in 2022, highlighting the urgent need for effective strategies in early detection and management─an area that continues to draw significant attention from researchers across the globe. Among the various available formulation strategies, self-healing hydrogels (SHHGs) have drawn attention by virtue of their dynamic, biocompatible, and stimuli-responsive properties, which are useful in detecting and treating cancer. Their ability to reassemble after deformation ensures prolonged stability at the tumor site, enhancing therapeutic efficacy and reducing systemic toxicity. These attributes have led SHHGs to be extensively explored for the local delivery of cancer chemotherapeutics. This Review thoroughly discusses the synthesis approaches of SHHGs, including self-healing mechanisms, the applications of SHHGs in cancer diagnosis, and drug delivery emphasizing smart SHHGs. Furthermore, applications of SHHGs in cancer immunotherapy and gene therapy and the clinical trial statuses of various once-directed SHHGs have also been discussed. Moreover, this Review also highlights the challenges faced by SHHGs due to the dearth of preclinical efficacy data and hurdles to clinical transition.
Insights
Self-healing hydrogels (SHHGs) offer promising cancer detection and treatment strategies due to their stability and drug delivery capabilities. Further research is needed to overcome challenges for clinical application.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Oncology
Background:
- Cancer is a leading global cause of mortality, necessitating advanced detection and treatment methods.
- Self-healing hydrogels (SHHGs) possess unique dynamic, biocompatible, and stimuli-responsive properties beneficial for cancer management.
- SHHGs enable stable local drug delivery, improving therapeutic efficacy and reducing systemic toxicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the synthesis, mechanisms, and applications of SHHGs in cancer diagnosis and therapy.
- To emphasize the role of smart SHHGs in advanced cancer treatment modalities.
- To discuss the current status and challenges of SHHGs in clinical translation.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive review of literature on SHHG synthesis and self-healing mechanisms.
- Analysis of SHHG applications in cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy.
- Evaluation of clinical trial data and preclinical efficacy of SHHGs.
Main Results:
- SHHGs demonstrate significant potential for localized cancer treatment and diagnosis.
- Smart SHHGs offer enhanced control over drug release and therapeutic response.
- Challenges include limited preclinical data and hurdles in clinical transition.
Conclusions:
- SHHGs represent a promising platform for innovative cancer detection and drug delivery systems.
- Overcoming current limitations is crucial for the successful clinical translation of SHHG-based therapies.
- Continued research into SHHG efficacy and safety is warranted.
