Thermo-Responsive Hydrogels: From Recent Progress to Biomedical Applications.

Thermogels are also known as thermo-sensitive or thermo-responsive hydrogels and can undergo a sol-gel transition as the temperature increases. This thermogelling behavior is the result of combined action from multiscale thermo-responsive mechanisms. From micro to macro, these mechanisms can be attributed to LCST behavior, micellization, and micelle aggregation of thermogelling polymers. Due to its facile phase conversion properties, thermogels are injectable yet can form an in situ gel in the human body. Thermogels act as a useful platform biomaterial that operates at physiological body temperatures. The purpose of this review is to summarize the recent progress in thermogel research, including investigations on the thermogel gelation mechanism and its applications in drug delivery, 3D cell culture, and tissue engineering. The review also discusses emerging directions in the study of thermogels.