Application of Hydrogel as Drug Carrier in Tumor Therapy

Hydrogels, as functional materials possessing both excellent biocompatibility and tunable physicochemical properties, have demonstrated significant application potential in cancer therapeutics. In recent years, with rapid advancements in biomedical engineering technologies, substantial progress has been achieved in hydrogel-based drug delivery systems. This review systematically summarizes the latest research advances in hydrogel carriers for cancer treatment, with particular emphasis on their application advantages in controlled drug release, intelligent tumor microenvironment regulation, and multimodal combination therapy. Studies have revealed that hydrogels, by virtue of their unique physicochemical characteristics including superior biocompatibility, precisely tunable degradation kinetics and drug release profiles, have emerged as a highly promising drug carrier platform in oncology. Notably, stimuli-responsive hydrogels can react to external triggers such as temperature, pH or light irradiation, enabling intelligent drug release and thereby significantly enhancing therapeutic efficacy. With deepening understanding of structure-property relationships and continuous innovation in fabrication technologies, the application prospects of hydrogels in precision cancer therapy are expected to expand further.