Nanogels as nanocarriers for drug delivery: A review

Abstract

Nanogels are submicron-size aqueous dispersions of water-swollen particles, composed of nano-sized three-dimensional highly cross-linked networks of hydrophilic polymers. An active pharmaceutical agent or therapeutic agent with high or low molecular weight can be easily encapsulated into nanogels that can be delivered to the site of action via various routes, including oral, pulmonary, nasal, parenteral and intraocular routes, among others. Therapeutic agents encapsulated into nanogels improve the therapeutic activity in the biological environment. The application of different nanogels in drug delivery and recent clinical trial studies has been described concisely in this review.