In Situ Gelling Systems: A Smart Approach to Controlled Drug Release

Over the past decades, gel-based system has been gained greater attention as an innovative approach in drug delivery, particularly for developing regulated and sustained drug delivery system can improving therapeutic outcomes. Among these, in-situ gel systems have gained prominence as one of the most promising innovative drug delivery systems, primarily due to their unique ability to transform ‘liquid into gel’ transition is broadly accepted. In-situ gels are hydrogels that exist in solution before administration. They undergo gelation when physiological conditions change such as temperature fluctuation, pH changes, presence of ions and UV radiation, solvent exchange and others. This transformation increases how long the drug stays at the targeted site, improves bioavailability, and enhances the patient compliance and comfort. These systems are designed to reduce the dose frequency and enhance the drug effectiveness by ensuring localised drug delivery, minimizing dosage requirements and providing consistent drug release. Various polymers such as natural and synthetic ones, forms in-situ gels at the targeted site, and are used across various ways of delivering the drug to the body, including oral, ocular, rectal, nasal, vaginal and transdermal routes.in situ gelling system offers several advantages and have a wide range of applications in today’s advanced methods of delivering the medicine. The review provides an overview of in-situ gels, covering their mechanism of action, method of preparation, types of polymers used, evaluation parameters and their roles in various drug delivery system.