Dry Gels: Concept, Current Trends, and New Avenues in Drug Delivery and Biomedical Application

Gels are cross-linked semisolid systems traditionally classified as hydrogels and organogels, widely used in drug delivery. Organogels (oleogels), composed of organic solvents like paraffin or isopropyl palmitate, often suffer from instability and a greasy texture, limiting their pharmaceutical use. Hydrogels, containing water as the main liquid phase, face challenges due to poor compatibility with hydrophobic drugs and low mechanical strength, affecting drug release and distribution. These limitations have led to the development of advanced dry gel systems such as aerogels, cryogels, and xerogels. Dry gels possess high porosity, large surface area, and tunable internal structures, enabling improved drug solubility, controlled release, and enhanced bioavailability. Their adaptability to various administration routes-oral, transdermal, nasal, and pulmonary-adds to their therapeutic value. Additionally, their biocompatibility and structural resemblance to biological tissues make them suitable for tissue engineering, wound healing, biosensing, and gene therapy. This review highlights the drug loading and release mechanisms of dry gels and critically evaluates existing challenges, including toxicity concerns and the need for long-term safety studies. Overall, dry gels represent a promising class of biomaterials capable of advancing drug delivery and improving outcomes across a broad spectrum of biomedical applications.