The critical role of hydrogels as an advanced polymeric scaffold in biomedicine: recent progress and challenges

Hydrogels have emerged as pivotal materials in biomedical engineering due to their unique properties, including high water content, biocompatibility, and tunable mechanical characteristics. These three-dimensional hydrophilic networks can mimic natural biological tissues, making them suitable for a wide range of applications, including drug delivery systems, tissue engineering scaffolds, and wound healing and regenerative medicine. This review explores the composition, classification, and mechanisms of hydrogels, highlighting recent advancements and innovative trends in the field. The aim of using hydrogels in biomedical engineering is to create materials that closely mimic natural tissue, providing biocompatibility and support for cellular functions. This study explored the application of hydrogels in drug delivery, wound healing, tissue engineering, and diagnostics, offering insights into their clinical relevance. This review also includes a discussion on current trends and future directions, highlighting innovations such as smart hydrogels, 3D printing, and biosensing technologies. It further discussed their applications and challenges faced in clinical translation, providing insights into future directions for research and development in biomedical engineering.