Context: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) have developed an advanced injectable hydrogel for localised/targeted cancer treatment.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Hydrogels; their Applications.
What are Hydrogels?
- Hydrogels are water-based crosslinked polymer chains with three-dimensional (3D) network structures capable of absorbing and retaining large amounts of fluids.
- The jelly-like substance can be found naturally as well as can be synthesised in the laboratory.
- Properties of Hydrogel:
- Hydrophilic
- Biocompatible (Non-toxic & non-immunogenic)
- Biodegradable
- Flexible
- Semi-permeable
Applications of Hydrogel
- Wide range of biomedical and engineering applications (tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, patches for wound healing etc.)
- Wastewater treatment
- Soft robotics
- Contact lenses
- Added in soil to help retain moisture
- Hydrogel- based batteries and supercapacitors
- Hydrogel-based cooling system.
The Recent Development:
- Indian Researchers have designed hydrogel composed of ultra-short peptides that delivers drugs precisely to the tumour site, ensuring localised action.
- Key features:
- This hydrogel remains insoluble in biological fluids, ensuring it stays localised at the injection site.
- It serves as a stable reservoir for anti-cancer drugs, releasing it in a controlled manner while sparing healthy cells from harm.
- It responds to elevated levels of glutathione (GSH), a molecule abundant in tumour cells, ensuring targeted action.
- Significance:
- Injectable hydrogel enables precision drug delivery, thus, minimising damage to healthy cells (otherwise caused by current treatments like chemotherapy and surgical interventions).
- The design of hydrogel is expected to be revolutionary for breast cancer therapy.