Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41769378›Full record

ReviewMaterials today. Bio2026

Multifunctional implantable hydrogels: Smart platforms at the forefront of biomedical innovation.

Bruna E Nagay, Leila Mamizadeh Janghour, Labiba K El-Khordagui, Behnam Akhavan, Valentim A R Barão, Vimukthi Dananjaya, Chamil Abeykoon, Salma E El-Habashy, Jagan Mohan Dodda

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Materials today. Bio, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Bruna E NagayDepartment of Prosthodontics and Periodontology, Piracicaba Dental School, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13414-903, Brazil.
Leila Mamizadeh JanghourSchool of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Labiba K El-KhordaguiDepartment of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Egypt.
Behnam AkhavanSchool of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Valentim A R BarãoDepartment of Prosthodontics and Periodontology, Piracicaba Dental School, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13414-903, Brazil.
Vimukthi DananjayaSchool of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia.
Chamil AbeykoonNorthwest Composites Centre and Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
Salma E El-HabashyDepartment of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Egypt.
Jagan Mohan DoddaNew Technologies - Research Centre (NTC), University of West Bohemia, Univerzitní 8, Pilsen, 301 00, Czech Republic.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Hydrogels are transformative three-dimensional polymeric networks that replicate the extracellular matrix owing to their high-water content, biocompatibility, and tunable physicochemical properties. Evolving beyond conventional applications in wound dressings, contact lenses, and basic drug depots, hydrogel systems have advanced into implantable designs capable of long-term physiological integration. Surgically placed or delivered via minimally invasive techniques, implantable hydrogels (IHGs) enable dynamic tissue interactions, biodegradability, self-healing behaviour, and sustained drug release. The emergence of multifunctional, stimuli-responsive variants of IHGs has further expanded their therapeutic, diagnostic, and regenerative potential while preserving their essential material attributes. By coupling stimuli responsiveness with patient-specific physiological cues, IHGs embody the "smart" nature of next-generation biomaterials, advancing personalized medicine through adaptive therapeutic delivery, real-time functional responsiveness, and dynamic biological integration. This review summarizes recent progress in the design and fabrication of IHGs, emphasizing 3D and 4D printing technologies and the development of hydrogel inks optimized for mechanical robustness, shape fidelity, and biological performance. Applications are discussed across four major areas: (i) hydrogel coatings for medical implants, (ii) injectable hydrogels for infection control, (iii) bone-regenerative scaffolds, and (iv) health-monitoring systems. Finally, the review addresses key translational challenges, including scalable manufacturing, long-term stability, and regulatory considerations, while outlining future directions toward smart, multifunctional implantable hydrogels capable of integrated biosensing and responsive therapeutic delivery. Distinct from previous reviews, this work combines implantability and multifunctionality/smartness within a single framework, highlighting how hydrogels can achieve durable physiological integration while dynamically adapting to patient-specific cues.

Indexed as

Additive manufacturingAntimicrobial hydrogelsBone tissue engineeringHydrogel ink formulationInjectable biomaterialsPersonalized medicineReal-time health monitoring

Identifiers

PMID41769378
PMCPMC12945591

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.