Polymeric Nanogels with Applicability in the Biomedical Field

Background: The interest for polymeric nanogels is entirely justified taken into consideration their diversity brought by the composition and their multiple applications, especially in the biomedical field. Nanogels can be defined as three-dimensional networks with interconnected pores and diameters below 100 nm. These materials exhibit distinct properties like swellability which can be useful for entrapping and further release of bioactive substances. Nanogels combine the characteristics of hydrogels (swelling capacity and retention of high amount of water, as well as tunable physicochemical properties) with those of nanoparticles (large surface area which facilitates adsorption and the possibility of being passed through the systemic circulation). Objective: This review highlights the latest inventions in the field of nanogels synthesis. Thus, the recent methods of preparation will be described as well as their use as nano-assemblies/nano-delivery systems in the biomedical field. Conclusions: There is an increasing interest in the study of nanogels due to their facile tailoring characteristics and the ability to encapsulate bioactive substances. In spite of that, there are a lot of issues that are necessary to assess the effectiveness of these materials regarding metabolism, biodistribution, toxicity, immunogenicity and pharmacokinetics.