Advancing biomedicine with gel-based materials and composites: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Polymer gels are an important class of soft materials with growing interest for biomedical applications due to their distinctive properties. These three-dimensional polymer networks are capable of imbibing large amounts of solvent while maintaining solid-like behavior. Polymer gels can be classified into hydrogels, aerogels, and cryogels based on their structural features. Their highly porous structure, swelling capacity, and biocompatibility make them well-suited for diverse uses in biomedicine. Recent advances have enabled the engineering of polymer gels with tunable architectures and smart functionality responsive to stimuli. These developments have expanded the potential of gels in areas like tissue engineering, drug delivery, wound healing, and biosensing. However, the toxicity of polymer gels remains an important consideration for biomedical use. Careful design and toxicological evaluation is essential to ensure safe clinical application. Overall, polymer gels offer new possibilities in biomedicine through continued research on synthesizing biocompatible gels and elucidating structure–function relationships. This review provides an updated perspective on the progress and promise of tailoring polymer gels to advance biomedicine, while also considering the critical aspect of biocompatibility.