The upsurge in the need of targeted controlled drug delivery (TCDD) has led to the invention of remarkable biomaterials with improved biocompatibility and biodegradability. In recent years, “Smart Polymers” have emerged as a potential candidate, competing with the existing hydrogel systems used for controlled drug delivery. This article is an effort to highlight the diverse applications of hydrogels for revolutionizing the present research on drug delivery systems. This article summarizes the role of hydrogels as delivery vehicles for drugs used in various disorders related to the brain and other distinct parts of the human body. The clinical application and toxicological aspects of hydrogels are also highlighted. Their potential for diagnostics and various therapeutic interventions against tuberculosis have been reviewed. In addition, the limitations and future prospectives in the development of biopolymeric hydrogels are discussed.

This work, as a proof of principle, presents a sensitive and selective electrochemical immunosensor for Zika-virus (ZIKV)-protein detection using a functionalized interdigitated micro-electrode of gold (IDE-Au) array. A miniaturized IDE-Au immunosensing chip was prepared via immobilization of ZIKV specific envelop protein antibody (Zev-Abs) onto dithiobis(succinimidyl propionate) i.e., (DTSP) functionalized IDE-Au (electrode gap/width of 10 µm). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was performed to measure the electrical response of developed sensing chip as a function of ZIKV-protein concentrations. The results of EIS studies confirmed that sensing chip detected ZIKV-protein selectively and exhibited a detection range from 10 pM to 1 nM and a detection limit of 10 pM along with a high sensitivity of 12 kΩM⁻¹. Such developed ZIKV immune-sensing chip can be integrated with a miniaturized potentiostat (MP)-interfaced with a smartphone for rapid ZIKV-infection detection required for early stage diagnostics at point-of-care application.

The ongoing progress in the development of hydrogel technology has led to the emergence of materials with unique features and applications in medicine. The innovations behind the invention of nanocomposite hydrogels include new approaches towards synthesizing and modifying the hydrogels using diverse nanofillers synergistically with conventional polymeric hydrogel matrices. The present review focuses on the unique features of various important nanofillers used to develop nanocomposite hydrogels and the ongoing development of newly hydrogel systems designed using these nanofillers. This article gives an insight in the advancement of nanocomposite hydrogels for nanomedicine.