Development of stimuli-responsive nanogels as drug carriers and their biomedical application in 3D printing

With the groundbreaking progress in nanomedicine, innovative drug delivery systems have shown rapid development, in which nano-vehicles play a vital role in disease treatment. In comparison with common pharmaceutics (with several limitations including short half-lives, poor drug delivery, and non-specific systemic toxicity), stimuli-responsive nanogels (NGs) can deliver anti-tumor drugs to specific sites and improve therapeutic effects without non-selective toxicity. Here, we demonstrate new advances in stimuli-responsive NGs (such as light, temperature, redox, magnetic, and pH-responsive NGs). The present review emphasizes a summary of the preparation, biomedical application, current progress, and challenges in stimuli-responsive NGs, for effective cancer treatment. Due to the increasing demands for precise nanogel production, being utilized for clinical, biomedical applications, and particularly 3D printing has been explored in the past few years. Lastly, we provide explications concerning what is needed for the field to continue to grow since nanogels are one of the most precise, inexpensive, and efficient carriers with conventional manufacturing techniques. (c) 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

With the progress in nanomedicine, nano-vehicles have become crucial in innovative drug delivery systems, particularly in the field of cancer treatment. Stimuli-responsive nanogels, such as light, temperature, redox, magnetic, and pH-responsive NGs, have shown great potential in delivering anti-tumor drugs to specific sites without non-selective toxicity. This review provides a summary of the preparation, biomedical application, current progress, and challenges in stimuli-responsive NGs, emphasizing their importance in effective cancer treatment. Additionally, the exploration of 3D printing for precise nanogel production and its utilization in clinical and biomedical applications is discussed.