ABSTRACT
Hydrophilic polymeric networks that are capable of imbibing huge volumes of water and undergoing swelling and shrinkage suitably to facilitate controlled drug-release are called hydrogels. Their porosity and compatibility with aqueous environments make them highly attractive biocompatible drug delivery vehicles. Their applications are manifold and for several biomedical needs as they are moldable into varied physical forms such as nanoparticles, microparticles, slabs, films and coatings. The chapter discusses on how hydrogels are being manipulated presently for improved targeted drug delivery. The attractive physical properties of hydrogels, especially their porosity, offer tremendous advantages in drug delivery applications such as sustained release of the loaded drug. The non-covalent cross-linking is a very attractive aspect of the hydrogels as it helps circumvent the problems of limited drug loading potential and drug incorporation for use only as implantables, which would be the only possibility with a covalently cross-linked network.
