Lee Kyung Kwan, Go Kwangmo, Lee Eonjin, Kim Hongki, Kim Seonwook, Kim Ji-Hyun, Chae Min Suk, Jeong Jin-Oh
Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
Department of Chemistry, Kongju National University, Kongju 32588, Republic of Korea.
Gels. 2025 Jun 1;11(6):426. doi: 10.3390/gels11060426.
Multifunctional hydrogels represent an emerging technological advancement in cancer therapeutics, integrating diagnostic imaging capabilities with therapeutic modalities into comprehensive, multifunctional systems. These hydrogels exhibit exceptional biocompatibility, biodegradability, high water retention capacity, and tunable mechanical properties, enabling precise drug delivery while minimizing systemic side effects. Recent innovations in stimuli-responsive components facilitate intelligent, controlled drug release mechanisms triggered by various stimuli, including changes in pH, temperature, magnetic fields, and near-infrared irradiation. Incorporating diagnostic imaging agents, such as magnetic nanoparticles, fluorescent dyes, and radiolabeled isotopes, substantially improves tumor visualization and real-time therapeutic monitoring. Multifunctional hydrogels effectively integrate chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, immunotherapy, and their synergistic combinations, demonstrating superior therapeutic outcomes compared to conventional methods. Particularly, injectable and in situ-forming hydrogels provide sustained local drug delivery postoperatively, effectively reducing tumor recurrence. However, challenges persist, including initial burst release, mechanical instability, regulatory barriers, and scalability concerns. Current research emphasizes advanced nanocomposite formulations, biofunctionalization strategies, and innovative manufacturing technologies like 3D bioprinting to facilitate clinical translation. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advancements, clinical applications, and future perspectives of multifunctional hydrogel systems for enhanced cancer treatment, underscoring their potential to revolutionize personalized oncology.
多功能水凝胶代表了癌症治疗领域一项新兴的技术进步，它将诊断成像能力与治疗方式整合到综合的多功能系统中。这些水凝胶具有出色的生物相容性、生物降解性、高保水能力和可调节的机械性能，能够实现精确的药物递送，同时将全身副作用降至最低。刺激响应成分的最新创新促进了由各种刺激引发的智能、可控药物释放机制，这些刺激包括pH值变化、温度、磁场和近红外辐射。加入诊断成像剂，如磁性纳米颗粒、荧光染料和放射性标记同位素，可显著改善肿瘤可视化和实时治疗监测。多功能水凝胶有效地整合了化疗、光热疗法、光动力疗法、免疫疗法及其协同组合，与传统方法相比显示出卓越的治疗效果。特别是，可注射和原位形成的水凝胶在术后提供持续的局部药物递送，有效降低肿瘤复发率。然而，挑战依然存在，包括初始突释、机械不稳定性、监管障碍和可扩展性问题。当前的研究强调先进的纳米复合配方、生物功能化策略以及创新制造技术，如3D生物打印，以促进临床转化。本综述全面总结了多功能水凝胶系统在增强癌症治疗方面的最新进展、临床应用和未来展望，强调了它们在革新个性化肿瘤学方面的潜力。
