Next Article in Journal
Additive Manufacturing of Conductive Pathways for Drone Electrical Equipment
Previous Article in Journal
Lamellar Orientation Analysis and Mechanical Properties of Polyethylene in Stretch-Induced Crystallization
Previous Article in Special Issue
Poly(oligoethylene glycol methylether methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) Aggregates as Nanocarriers for Curcumin and Quercetin
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Polymers
Volume 17
Issue 11
10.3390/polym17111451
polymers-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Review

pH-Responsive Hydrogels: Recent Advances in Pharmaceutical Applications

by
Georgia Patroklou
1,
Efstathia Triantafyllopoulou
1,
Paraskevi-Evelina Goula
1,†,
Vasiliki Karali
1,†,
Maria Chountoulesi
1,
Georgia Valsami
1,
Stergios Pispas
2 and
Natassa Pippa
1,*
1
Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
2
Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 11635 Athens, Greece
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Polymers 2025, 17(11), 1451; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17111451
Submission received: 30 April 2025 / Revised: 19 May 2025 / Accepted: 21 May 2025 / Published: 23 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Materials for Drug Delivery Applications)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Hydrogels are three-dimensional polymeric systems, being able to accommodate different categories of bioactive agents and act as promising drug delivery systems in many different biomedical applications. Due to their extended 3D network, hydrogels exhibit many advantages, such as extensive loading capacity and controlled drug release profiles, combined with characteristics such as biocompatibility and biodegradability, due to their constructive polymeric biomaterials. Moreover, hydrogels are capable of being administered via different routes of administration, including systemic and topical ones, due to their tunable characteristics. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels are characterized as smart biomaterials, while environmental stimuli, such as pH, can be employed to trigger on-demand drug release from the hydrogels via the provocation of conformational changes. In the present study, an emphasis on the pH-responsive hydrogels is taking place through various literature cases in drug delivery, wound healing, and some alternative applications, including implantation, oral administration, etc., wherein many different polymeric derivatives have been utilized. Moreover, the role of each used polymer or polymeric combination with other functional biomaterials, their mode of structure formation (for example, crosslinking), and their content release mechanism are highlighted, as well as the therapeutic effect of the hydrogels on different pathological conditions, as promising candidates for pharmaceutical applications.
Keywords: pH-responsive; hydrogels; drug delivery; polymers; wound healing; chitosan; poly(acrylic acid); controlled release; anticancer therapy pH-responsive; hydrogels; drug delivery; polymers; wound healing; chitosan; poly(acrylic acid); controlled release; anticancer therapy

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Patroklou, G.; Triantafyllopoulou, E.; Goula, P.-E.; Karali, V.; Chountoulesi, M.; Valsami, G.; Pispas, S.; Pippa, N. pH-Responsive Hydrogels: Recent Advances in Pharmaceutical Applications. Polymers 2025, 17, 1451. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17111451

AMA Style

Patroklou G, Triantafyllopoulou E, Goula P-E, Karali V, Chountoulesi M, Valsami G, Pispas S, Pippa N. pH-Responsive Hydrogels: Recent Advances in Pharmaceutical Applications. Polymers. 2025; 17(11):1451. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17111451

Chicago/Turabian Style

Patroklou, Georgia, Efstathia Triantafyllopoulou, Paraskevi-Evelina Goula, Vasiliki Karali, Maria Chountoulesi, Georgia Valsami, Stergios Pispas, and Natassa Pippa. 2025. "pH-Responsive Hydrogels: Recent Advances in Pharmaceutical Applications" Polymers 17, no. 11: 1451. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17111451

APA Style

Patroklou, G., Triantafyllopoulou, E., Goula, P.-E., Karali, V., Chountoulesi, M., Valsami, G., Pispas, S., & Pippa, N. (2025). pH-Responsive Hydrogels: Recent Advances in Pharmaceutical Applications. Polymers, 17(11), 1451. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17111451

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop