A Review on Hydrogels for Smart Drug Delivery Systems and their Mathematical Modelling

Since the last few decades, smart hydrogels have become a vibrant research area in biomedical science and engineering. Nowadays, smart hydrogels can be used in drug delivery systems due to their biocompatibility, physicochemical properties, and high stability. External factors like temperature, pH, ionic concentration, light, magnetic fields, electrical fields, and chemicals can alter smart hydrogels' chemical and biological characteristics. Furthermore, there have been sophisticated advancements in polymer science that combine two or more responsive mechanisms to create polymers with multiple responsive properties. In this review article, we discussed the recent advancements in the field of smart hydrogels, their preparation methods, important properties, and multifunctional applications. The FDA approval for clinical purposes is also given for specific commercial applications. Various mathematical models have also been discussed to simulate and optimize the drug release behavior from hydrogels and to provide valuable insight into the drug release profile over time. The latest advancement in the field of stimuli-responsive drug-loaded hydrogels and the contributions of the researchers in this field are also highlighted. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of smart hydrogels and their future challenges are also discussed.