Advances in Stimuli-Responsive Chitosan Hydrogels for Drug Delivery Systems

Sustainable and controllable drug transport is one of the most efficient ways of disease treatment. Due to high biocompatibility, good biodegradability, and low costs, chitosan and its derivatives are widely used in biomedical fields. Specifically, chitosan hydrogel enables drugs to pass through biological barriers because of their abundant amino and hydroxyl groups that can interact with human tissues. Moreover, the multi-responsive nature (pH, temperature, ions strength, and magnetic field, etc.) of chitosan hydrogels makes precise drug release a possibility. Here, the synthesis methods, modification strategies, stimuli-responsive mechanisms of chitosan-based hydrogels, and their recent progress in drug delivery are summarized. Chitosan hydrogels that carry and release drugs through subcutaneous (dealing with wound dressing), oral (dealing with gastrointestinal tract), and facial (dealing with ophthalmic, ear, and brain) are reviewed. Finally, challenges toward clinic application and the future prospects of stimuli-responsive chitosan-based hydrogels are indicated. Controllable drug release is a critical disease treatment. Here, the synthesis methods, modification strategies, stimuli-responsive mechanisms (pH, temperature, ions strength and magnetic field, etc.) of chitosan-based hydrogels and their recent progress in carrying and releasing drugs through subcutaneous (dealing with wound dressing), oral (dealing with gastrointestinal tract), and facial (dealing with ophthalmic, ear, and brain) are summarized.image

Automated summary

Sustainable and controllable drug transport is an efficient method for disease treatment. Chitosan hydrogel, characterized by high biocompatibility, good biodegradability, and low costs, has been widely used in biomedical fields. The abundant amino and hydroxyl groups in chitosan hydrogel allow it to interact with human tissues and enable drugs to pass through biological barriers. The multi-responsive nature of chitosan hydrogel, including pH, temperature, ions strength, and magnetic field, makes precise drug release possible. This review summarizes the synthesis methods, modification strategies, stimuli-responsive mechanisms, and recent progress of chitosan-based hydrogels in drug delivery, focusing on subcutaneous, oral, and facial administration. The challenges towards clinical application and future prospects are also discussed.