Stimuli-Responsive Biomaterials for Diabetes and Obesity Management

The increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity worldwide has spurred the design of innovative therapeutic approaches. Stimuli-responsive biomaterials have emerged as promising tools for targeted and controlled delivery of therapeutics. These materials have the ability to respond dynamically to specific external or internal stimuli and interact with the body at specific focal points by facilitating cellular pathways like drug release, biochemical signals, electrical signal transmission, cell loading, and mechanical stress modulation, thereby providing innovative solutions for drug delivery that can significantly improve patient outcomes. Ongoing advancements in this field are expected to pave the way for smarter therapeutics that are both effective and patient-centric. This chapter systematically elucidates the presence of physical stimulus-responsive biomaterials and chemical stimulus-responsive biomaterials used to manage diabetes and obesity. Moreover, it delves deeply into how stimuli-responsive materials can mimic natural insulin production in response to blood glucose levels, which helps to manage diabetes.