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Gels
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Hydrogels in Biomedicine: Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering
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Hydrogels in Biomedicine: Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2026 | Viewed by 3478

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alexandra Rotaru Zavaleanu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Epidemiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
Interests: biomaterials; hydrogel; peripheral nerve regeneration; drug delivery; tissue engineering; regenerative medicine
Dr. Bogdan Catalin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Experimental Research Centre for Normal and Pathological Aging, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
Interests: microglia morphology; neurodegeneration; in vivo animal models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels have emerged as versatile biomaterials with unique properties—high water content, tunable mechanical behavior, and excellent biocompatibility—that make them ideal for biomedical applications. In recent years, hydrogels have been engineered not only as passive scaffolds but also as active platforms for drug delivery, tissue regeneration, and cellular therapy.

This Special Issue will highlight cutting-edge research on hydrogels for drug delivery and tissue engineering, with a special focus on regenerative strategies, neural repair, controlled release systems, and multifunctional hydrogel composites. We welcome contributions covering novel synthesis and characterization methods, in vitro and in vivo performance evaluation, translational approaches, and clinical potential.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Smart hydrogels with stimuli-responsive drug release;
  • Injectable hydrogels for localized therapy;
  • Hydrogel-based scaffolds for tissue engineering (nerve, bone, cartilage, skin);
  • Hybrid and composite hydrogel systems;
  • Biofunctionalization for enhanced cellular interaction and regeneration;
  • Hydrogel-assisted delivery of cells, growth factors, or gene therapy agents.

We invite original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that explore innovative hydrogel systems with biomedical applications.

We look forward to your contributions and to advancing this exciting field together.

Sincerely,

Dr. Alexandra Rotaru Zavaleanu
Dr. Bogdan Catalin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hydrogel
  • drug delivery
  • tissue engineering
  • regenerative medicine
  • peripheral nerve regeneration
  • biomaterials

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 5894 KB  
Article
Photothermal-Responsive Polyvinyl Alcohol/Gelatin/Graphene Oxide Hydrogels Loaded with Quercetin for NIR-Triggered Controlled Drug Delivery
by Alexa-Maria Croitoru, Tatiana Tozar, Mihai Boni, Angela Staicu, Roxana-Doina Trușcă, Bianca-Maria Tihăuan and Anton Ficai
Gels 2026, 12(4), 327; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12040327 - 14 Apr 2026
Viewed by 332
Abstract
Photothermal therapy (PTT) has emerged as a promising medical strategy for controlled and targeted drug delivery, due to its ability to trigger rapid release while minimizing damage to surrounding environments. Among different near-infrared (NIR)-responsive nanomaterials, carbon materials are of particular interest due to [...] Read more.
Photothermal therapy (PTT) has emerged as a promising medical strategy for controlled and targeted drug delivery, due to its ability to trigger rapid release while minimizing damage to surrounding environments. Among different near-infrared (NIR)-responsive nanomaterials, carbon materials are of particular interest due to their multifunctional properties, with graphene oxide (GO) being a powerful photothermal therapy agent that can accelerate stimuli-responsive drug release. Herein, novel stimuli-responsive hydrogels based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), gelatin (Gel) and GO, loaded with natural quercetin (Q) were developed and evaluated for their physico-chemical properties, antibacterial and antifungal activities, photothermal Q release, and cellular metabolic activity. Upon NIR laser irradiation, after 10 min, Q was released twice as fast compared to conventional drug release without stimulation. The rapid release of Q by applying light radiation highlights the suitability of these hydrogels for controlled drug delivery applications. The PVA:Gel:GO/Q-hydrogels exhibited strong antimicrobial and antifungal performance (≥90% microbial reduction at higher GO concentrations). Furthermore, a significant reduction in S. aureus adhesion and invasion indicates the sample’s potential to mitigate bacterial infections. The PVA:Gel:GO/Q formulations exhibited high biocompatibility in Human Dermal Fibroblasts (HDF), demonstrating that Q improves the safety of PVA:Gel:GO-loaded hydrogels. These results offer promising potential for PVA:Gel:GO/Q hydrogels as advanced materials for photothermal-triggered drug delivery and antimicrobial applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogels in Biomedicine: Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering)
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19 pages, 2630 KB  
Article
A Novel Floating In Situ Chewable Gel System for Curcumin Delivery with Potential Application in Obesity Management
by Saravoot Pumjan, Rachanida Praparatana, Ousanee Issarachot, Kantiya Fungfoung and Ruedeekorn Wiwattanapatapee
Gels 2026, 12(4), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12040286 - 29 Mar 2026
Viewed by 363
Abstract
Curcumin exhibits potent anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory activities; however, its therapeutic application is limited by poor aqueous solubility and low oral bioavailability. A curcumin-loaded chewable gel was developed to transform into an in situ gastric gel upon contact with gastric fluid after mastication. Curcumin [...] Read more.
Curcumin exhibits potent anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory activities; however, its therapeutic application is limited by poor aqueous solubility and low oral bioavailability. A curcumin-loaded chewable gel was developed to transform into an in situ gastric gel upon contact with gastric fluid after mastication. Curcumin solid dispersions (CUR-SDs) were prepared with Eudragit® EPO (1:1–1:7, w/w) using the solvent evaporation method. The optimized formulation (1:3) markedly enhanced solubility and dissolution in acidic medium (0.1 N HCl, pH 1.2) compared with crystalline curcumin and physical mixtures. The optimized CUR-SD was subsequently incorporated into chewable gels composed of sodium alginate and κ-carrageenan, with calcium carbonate as a gas-forming agent. The formulations formed buoyant matrices under acidic conditions, exhibiting floating lag times of 21–215 s and sustaining drug release for up to 8 h. Increasing polymer content improved mechanical strength and modulated release kinetics. Among the tested formulations, F7 achieved the optimal balance between texture properties, floating behavior, and controlled-release performance. In LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, curcumin, CUR-SD, and F7 showed comparable and potent anti-inflammatory activity (IC50 = 4.12–4.84 µg/mL), outperforming indomethacin. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, F7 significantly reduced lipid accumulation (~47%) in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings demonstrate that this transformable chewable in situ gelling platform is a promising gastroretentive strategy for improving the oral therapeutic efficacy of poorly soluble bioactive compounds for anti-obesity applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogels in Biomedicine: Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering)
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25 pages, 4123 KB  
Article
Rectal In Situ Thermosensitive Gel Loaded with Agomelatine-Silver Nanoparticles: Formulation and Characterization
by Marwa H. Abdallah, Mohamed S. Mohamed, Tamer M. Shehata, Wael A. Abdelhafez, Mahmoud M. A. Elsayed, Abd El hakim Ramadan, Islam Kamal, Abdulsalam M. Kassem, Mahmoud Elkot Mostafa, Ayman Salama, Reda A. Mahmoud and Ahmed A. El-Shenawy
Gels 2026, 12(1), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12010051 - 2 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1406
Abstract
Agomelatine (AG) is a novel antidepressant characterized by distinct mechanism of action and minimal side effects. However, extensive first-pass hepatic metabolism limits its clinical efficacy after oral administration, leading to low bioavailability (<5%). To get around these restrictions, the current study set out [...] Read more.
Agomelatine (AG) is a novel antidepressant characterized by distinct mechanism of action and minimal side effects. However, extensive first-pass hepatic metabolism limits its clinical efficacy after oral administration, leading to low bioavailability (<5%). To get around these restrictions, the current study set out to create and assess a rectal thermosensitive in situ gel using biosynthesized AG-silver nanoparticles (AG-AgNPs). AG-AgNPs were successfully synthesized with gum acacia as a stabilizing agent, using silver nitrate as a precursor, and ascorbic acid as a reducing agent. The in situ gel formulation was optimized using a 32 factorial design, and then physicochemical, in vitro, and in vivo assessments were conducted. Nanoparticle formation was also evidenced by the appearance of a visible color change, UV-VIS, TEM, and XRD analysis techniques, which depicted spherical-shaped nanoparticles and a crystalline nature. The formulated optimized thermosensitive in situ gel showed good properties, which included drug content of 91.64%, gelation temperature of 26.63 °C, pH of 7.2, gel strength of 36.98 s, and sustained drug release of 80.24% in 6 h. The relative bioavailability in animal studies showed a remarkable increase in systemic availability with 277.5% relative bioavailability in comparison to an oral tablet formulation. In summary, results show that the AG-AgNP-loaded thermosensitive in situ gel could have potential use as a rectal delivery drug for bypassing first-pass effects and improving bioavailability for the drug Agomelatine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogels in Biomedicine: Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering)
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Review

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26 pages, 694 KB  
Review
Hydrogel-Based Therapeutic Strategies for Post-Cholecystectomy NAFLD: Targeting Bile Acid Signaling, Gut Microbiota, Inflammation, and Hepatic Fibrosis
by Georgiana-Andreea Marinescu, Alexandra-Daniela Rotaru-Zavaleanu, Emil-Tiberius Trasca, Elena-Irina Caluianu, Oana Taisescu, Andrei Gresita, Madalina Iuliana Musat, Dumitru Radulescu, Razvan Mercut and Citto-Iulian Taisescu
Gels 2026, 12(2), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12020179 - 20 Feb 2026
Viewed by 936
Abstract
Post-cholecystectomy non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now encompassed within metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is increasingly linked to persistent disruption of bile acid kinetics and gut–liver axis signaling after gallbladder removal. Continuous bile delivery to the intestine reshapes the bile acid pool, [...] Read more.
Post-cholecystectomy non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now encompassed within metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is increasingly linked to persistent disruption of bile acid kinetics and gut–liver axis signaling after gallbladder removal. Continuous bile delivery to the intestine reshapes the bile acid pool, perturbs FXR–FGF19/TGR5 pathways, remodels gut microbiota, and compromises epithelial barrier integrity, collectively promoting portal endotoxemia, chronic hepatic inflammation, and fibrogenic remodeling. Hydrogel-based biomaterials offer a mechanistically aligned therapeutic platform for this setting because they enable localized, sustained, and stimuli-responsive interventions at intestinal or hepatic sites. Functional hydrogels can sequester excess bile acids, protect and deliver probiotics/prebiotics/postbiotics, reinforce mucosal barrier function, and provide controlled release of anti-inflammatory or antifibrotic agents with reduced systemic exposure. In this review, we map emerging hydrogel strategies relevant to post-cholecystectomy NAFLD across four pathogenic nodes, bile acid dysregulation, dysbiosis, inflammation, and fibrosis, and highlight design principles (polymer chemistry, charge/hydrophobicity balance, mucoadhesion, and pH/redox/enzyme responsiveness) that enable targeted modulation of the gut–liver axis. Finally, we identify key translational gaps, including the lack of post-cholecystectomy-specific experimental models and standardized outcome measures integrating bile acid profiling, microbiome readouts, and hepatic histology. Hydrogel technologies represent a promising route toward localized and multimodal therapy in metabolic liver disease, warranting focused preclinical validation and clinical development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogels in Biomedicine: Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering)
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