Self-Assembled Hydrogels: A Novel Drug Delivery System for Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative disease of the musculoskeletal system worldwide. Self-assembled hydrogels, as a novel drug delivery system, have demonstrated significant advantages in the treatment of OA. Through non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, electrostatic interactions, and π-π stacking, these hydrogels spontaneously form a three-dimensional network structure under physiological conditions without the need for chemical crosslinking agents, offering excellent biocompatibility, injectability, and controllable degradation properties. This system enables in -situ gelation within the joint, minimally invasive injection, sustained and controlled drug release, and intelligent responsive release. It is suitable for various delivery forms, including single-drug targeted delivery, exosome-based composite synergistic delivery, and microenvironment-responsive precise delivery, effectively inhibiting inflammation and promoting cartilage repair. Despite facing challenges in clinical translation, such as consistency in large-scale production, long-term safety evaluation, and regulatory standards, continued optimization in material design and preparation processes holds promise for self-assembled hydrogels to become a key platform for precise and minimally invasive OA treatment, offering new solutions for joint disease therapy.