ABSTRACT
In recent years smart hydrogels have emerged as a smart biomaterial. Various smart hydrogel systems have been extensively explored for several biomedical applications and exclusively for therapeutics and diagnostics. The present chapter focuses on the practical challenges faced by the researchers working on the development of smart hydrogels and nanogels for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Due to the complicated synthesis methodologies and the complex reagents involved in the development of the hydrogels, hydrogel technology has faced lot of limitations. Thus, there is an immense need to address these limitations to increase the pace of the clinical applications of hydrogels. Here, we summarize the different challenges associated with hydrogel technology. The chapter also gives a brief overview of recent future prospects of hydrogels in theranostics.
