13 - Polymeric gels for the controlled drug delivery applications

Abstract

The polymeric materials have been extensively studied for the biomedical applications in the last few decades. Hydrogels are high water content materials prepared from physically or chemically cross-linked polymers that can leverage therapeutically beneficial outcomes of drug delivery owing to their tunable physical properties, controllable degradability, and capability to protect labile drugs from degradation. Among this, smart or stimuli responsive hydrogels are of a class, where these materials are highly responsive even to the slight changes in their environments. In this chapter, we cover the basic synthesis of stimuli responsive materials and the drug release from the matrix. We also discuss how the drug delivery system varies on the stimuli responsive hydrogel system. Thus, this chapter will enhance the understanding about stimuli-responsive hydrogels especially based on poly(lactic acid), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), and chitosan-based polymers for the controlled drug delivery applications.