Injectable thermosensitive hydrogel-based drug delivery system for local cancer therapy

Abstract

Injectable thermosensitive hydrogel has been regarded as attractive drug delivery system, which displays a sol-gel phase transition upon injection in response to temperature. Recently, thermosensitive hydrogel has become a matter of importance in cancer therapy, providing high local drug concentration, sustained release characteristics, minimal invasiveness, and low systemic toxicities. Here, we review the extensive application of thermosensitive hydrogel in local cancer therapy, including chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, gene therapy, chemo-photothermal combined therapy, and chemo-/immuno- combined therapy.

Keywords: Cancer therapy; Drug delivery system; Thermosensitive hydrogel.