Photothermal-Responsive PVA–GelMA@rGO Nanocomposite Hydrogel for Light-Controlled Anti-Inflammatory Drug Delivery in Neural Applications

Background: Photothermal hydrogels enable noninvasive, light-controlled drug delivery for neural therapy.However, achieving stable mechanics and biocompatibility under NIR irradiation remains challenging.Methods: A PVA-GelMA@rGO nanocomposite hydrogel was fabricated by photopolymerization to integrate rGO's photothermal activity and ibuprofen loading capacity.Its structure, mechanical strength, photothermal performance, drug release, and biological responses were systematically evaluated.Results: The incorporation of rGO improved hydrogel compactness, modulus, and photothermal conversion, enabling stepwise ibuprofen release under NIR stimulation.The hydrogel showed excellent cytocompatibility with PC12 cells and significantly reduced IL-6 and TNF-α expression, indicating strong anti-inflammatory activity.Conclusion: The PVA-GelMA@rGO hydrogel provides an efficient and biocompatible platform for NIR-triggered, on-demand drug release and neuroinflammation control, offering promising potential for neural repair and pain modulation applications.