TY  - JOUR
TI  - Hydrogels in Biology and Medicine: From Molecular Principles to Bionanotechnology
AU  - Nikolaos A. Peppas
AU  - J. Zach Hilt
AU  - Ali Khademhosseini
AU  - Róbert Langer
PY  - 2006
JO  - Advanced Materials
DO  - 10.1002/adma.200501612
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.200501612
AB  - Abstract Hydrophilic polymers are the center of research emphasis in nanotechnology because of their perceived “intelligence”. They can be used as thin films, scaffolds, or nanoparticles in a wide range of biomedical and biological applications. Here we highlight recent developments in engineering uncrosslinked and crosslinked hydrophilic polymers for these applications. Natural, biohybrid, and synthetic hydrophilic polymers and hydrogels are analyzed and their thermodynamic responses are discussed. In addition, examples of the use of hydrogels for various therapeutic applications are given. We show how such systems' intelligent behavior can be used in sensors, microarrays, and imaging. Finally, we outline challenges for the future in integrating hydrogels into biomedical applications.
ER  -