Multifunctional Polymeric Nanogels for Biomedical Applications

Currently, research in nanoparticles as a drug delivery system has broadened to include their use as a delivery system for bioactive substances and a diagnostic or theranostic system. Nanogels, nanoparticles containing a high amount of water, have gained attention due to their advantages of colloidal stability, core-shell structure, and adjustable structural components. These advantages provide the potential to design and fabricate multifunctional nanosystems for various biomedical applications. Modified or functionalized polymers and some metals are components that markedly enhance the features of the nanogels, such as tunable amphiphilicity, biocompatibility, stimuli-responsiveness, or sensing moieties, leading to specificity, stability, and tracking abilities. Here, we review the diverse designs of core-shell structure nanogels along with studies on the fabrication and demonstration of the responsiveness of nanogels to different stimuli, temperature, pH, reductive environment, or radiation. Furthermore, additional biomedical applications are presented to illustrate the versatility of the nanogels.

Automated summary

Research in nanoparticles as a drug delivery system has expanded to include their use as a delivery system for bioactive substances and a diagnostic or theranostic system. Nanogels, with their colloidal stability, core-shell structure, and adjustable components, offer the potential to design multifunctional nanosystems for various biomedical applications. Enhanced features of nanogels from modified polymers and metals, such as tunable amphiphilicity, biocompatibility, stimuli-responsiveness, and sensing moieties, contribute to specificity, stability, and tracking abilities.