Visan Anita Ioana, Negut Irina
National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania.
Gels. 2024 Jul 26;10(8):497. doi: 10.3390/gels10080497.
Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) hydrogels are highly utilized in biomedical research due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and other versatile properties. This review comprehensively explores their synthesis, properties, sustained release mechanisms, and applications in drug delivery. The introduction underscores the significance of PLGA hydrogels in addressing challenges like short half-lives and systemic toxicity in conventional drug formulations. Synthesis methods, including emulsion solvent evaporation, solvent casting, electrospinning, thermal gelation, and photopolymerization, are described in detail and their role in tailoring hydrogel properties for specific applications is highlighted. Sustained release mechanisms-such as diffusion-controlled, degradation-controlled, swelling-controlled, and combined systems-are analyzed alongside key kinetic models (zero-order, first-order, Higuchi, and Peppas models) for designing controlled drug delivery systems. Applications of PLGA hydrogels in drug delivery are discussed, highlighting their effectiveness in localized and sustained chemotherapy for cancer, as well as in the delivery of antibiotics and antimicrobials to combat infections. Challenges and future prospects in PLGA hydrogel research are discussed, with a focus on improving drug loading efficiency, improving release control mechanisms, and promoting clinical translation. In summary, PLGA hydrogels provide a promising platform for the sustained delivery of therapeutic agents and meet diverse biomedical requirements. Future advancements in materials science and biomedical engineering are anticipated to further optimize their efficacy and applicability in clinical settings. This review consolidates the current understanding and outlines future research directions for PLGA hydrogels, emphasizing their potential to revolutionize therapeutic delivery and improve patient outcomes.
聚乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物（PLGA）水凝胶因其生物相容性、生物可降解性及其他多种特性而在生物医学研究中得到广泛应用。本文综述全面探讨了其合成方法、性质、缓释机制及其在药物递送中的应用。引言强调了PLGA水凝胶在应对传统药物制剂半衰期短和全身毒性等挑战方面的重要性。详细描述了合成方法，包括乳液溶剂蒸发法、溶剂浇铸法、静电纺丝法、热凝胶法和光聚合反应法，并突出了它们在为特定应用定制水凝胶性质方面的作用。分析了扩散控制、降解控制、溶胀控制和组合系统等缓释机制以及用于设计控释药物递送系统的关键动力学模型（零级、一级、Higuchi模型和Peppas模型）。讨论了PLGA水凝胶在药物递送中的应用，强调了其在癌症局部和持续化疗以及在递送抗生素和抗菌剂以对抗感染方面的有效性。讨论了PLGA水凝胶研究中的挑战和未来前景，重点是提高药物负载效率、改进释放控制机制以及促进临床转化。总之，PLGA水凝胶为治疗剂的持续递送提供了一个有前景的平台，并满足了各种生物医学需求。预计材料科学和生物医学工程的未来进展将进一步优化其在临床环境中的疗效和适用性。本文综述巩固了当前对PLGA水凝胶的认识，并概述了其未来的研究方向，强调了其在变革治疗递送和改善患者预后方面的潜力。
