Abstract The application of smart hydrogels has become a booming research frontier in biomedical engineering. With the development of intelligent drug delivery systems, various biomimetic and biodegradable hydrogels are employed for localized drug delivery to tissues in the preclinical applications. These advanced materials are designed to match the diverse environmental and functional requirements of various tissue types and organs. This article discusses the attractive characteristics of smart hydrogels as delivery systems and reviews the design of a range of smart hydrogels, as well as the challenges of tissue-specific drug delivery, focusing on the last 5 years of frontward research.
Lin et al. (2025) studied this question.