A. B. Danole

Hydrogels are three-dimensional, hydrophilic & polymeric networks capable of absorbing large amounts of water or biological fluids. Due to their high water content, porosity & soft consistency, they closely simulate natural living tissues, more so than any other class of synthetic biomaterials. Hydrogels can be formulated in a variety of physical forms, including slabs, micro-particles, Nano-particles, coatings and films. As a result, hydrogels are commonly used in clinical practice & medicine for a wide range of applications, including Tissue engineering & Regenerative medicine, Diagnostics, Cellular immobilization, separation of biomolecules or cells, & barrier materials to regulate biological adhesions. Hydrogels are also relatively deformable & can conform to the shape of the surface to which they are applied. In the latter context, the bioadhesive properties of some hydrogels can be advantageous in immobilizing them at the site of application or in applying them on surfaces that aren’t horizontal. They have started to create a niche in several fields of medicine like in specific site drug delivery, tissue reconstruction & tissue engineering and even as biosensors. In this review article an attempt has been made to explain the properties of hydrogels, their methods of preparation & its applications.