Multifunctional Hydrogels for Controlled Release of Bioactive Molecules
A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Delivery and Controlled Release".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 62
Special Issue Editors
Interests: hydrogels; drug delivery; biomaterial characterization; surface modification; wound dressings
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: hydrogels; controlled drug release; biomaterials characterization; biotribology; adsorption of biomolecules onto biomaterials; sterilization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: biomaterials characterization; hydrogels; polymeric micelles; drug delivery systems; controlled release; ocular delivery; drug-loaded contact lenses; antibiofilm medical devices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Hydrogels have emerged as versatile materials in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields, offering a drug-delivery unique platform due to their tuneable structure and dynamic functionality. These materials can be engineered in various forms, such as films, 3D-printed structures, nanoparticles, and fibers, allowing for innovative applications in sustained and targeted drug delivery. Their ability to respond to external stimuli, such as pH, temperature, or light, further enhances their potential as smart materials, enabling controlled drug release, self-healing, or shape-memory properties.
As medical challenges grow more complex, traditional hydrogels with single functionalities of support or protection lack efficiency. Thus, efforts have been made in recent years to develop multifunctional hydrogels that simultaneously perform several therapeutic roles and meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of healthcare.
Despite the significant progress in developing hydrogel-based drug delivery systems, several challenges remain, namely in optimizing their safety, biocompatibility, and efficacy for therapeutic applications. This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research and review articles that explore the synthesis, design, characterization, and pharmaceutical applications of multifunctional hydrogels.
We invite contributions highlighting recent innovations and future directions in this rapidly evolving field. Both original research articles and comprehensive reviews are welcome.
Dr. Diana C. Silva
Dr. Ana Paula Serro
Dr. Maria Vivero-Lopez
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- multifunctional hydrogels
- biodegradable hydrogels
- antimicrobial hydrogels
- smart hydrogels
- stimuli-responsive hydrogels
- therapeutic hydrogels
- nanogels
- drug delivery
- local drug delivery
- controlled release
- drug carriers
- bioactive molecules
- bioactive materials
- biocompatible materials
- hydrogel characterization
- ex vivo and in vivo evaluation
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