{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]],"date-time":"2026-01-26T17:34:57Z","timestamp":1769448897244,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]],"date-time":"2026-01-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769385600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>This comprehensive review examines cutting-edge developments in hydrogel technology for thyroid disease management, encompassing both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. As a promising polymeric biomaterial with a three-dimensional (3D) network structure, hydrogels demonstrate exceptional potential in thyroid disease due to their unique combination of properties: (1) remarkable biocompatibility, (2) precisely tunable physicochemical characteristics, and (3) controlled drug release capabilities. Our analysis systematically evaluates hydrogel applications across the spectrum of thyroid disorders, including (i) diagnostic approaches for thyroid nodules, (ii) therapeutic interventions for endocrine dysfunction (hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and post-thyroidectomy hypoparathyroidism), (iii) innovative treatments for thyroid neoplasms, and (iv) hemostasis, wound healing, repair of thyroid cartilage and laryngeal nerve injuries following thyroid surgery. It focuses on analyzing their advantages and challenges in drug delivery, minimally invasive therapy, tissue engineering, and postoperative care. Finally, future development directions for hydrogels in the field of thyroid disease are discussed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2026.1735751","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]],"date-time":"2026-01-26T07:19:19Z","timestamp":1769411959000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Research advances in hydrogel-based strategies for thyroid disease management: from diagnosis to therapeutic applications"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Lei","family":"Tang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thyroid Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University","place":["Jiaxing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jing","family":"Shen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Breast Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University","place":["Jiaxing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1982","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms25041982","article-title":"Hydrogel-based skin regeneration","volume":"25","author":"Arabpour","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int. J. Mol. Sci."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"348","DOI":"10.18063\/ijb.v7i2.348","article-title":"The technique of thyroid cartilage scaffold support formation for extrusion-based bioprinting","volume":"7","author":"Arguchinskaya","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Bioprint"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"21713","DOI":"10.1039\/d2ra02295h","article-title":"Cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol-xanthan gum hydrogel fabricated by freeze\/thaw technique for potential application in soft tissue engineering","volume":"12","author":"Bernal-Ch\u00e1vez","year":"2022","journal-title":"RSC Adv."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"425","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2023.26348","article-title":"Thyroid cancer: a review","volume":"331","author":"Boucai","year":"2024","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"182","DOI":"10.3390\/gels7040182","article-title":"Hydrogels classification according to the physical or chemical interactions and as stimuli-sensitive materials","volume":"7","author":"Bustamante-Torres","year":"2021","journal-title":"Gels"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"111609","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msec.2020.111609","article-title":"Soft elastic hydrogel couplants for ultrasonography","volume":"119","author":"Chen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Mater Sci. Eng. C Mater Biol. Appl."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4172\/2254-609x.100013","article-title":"History and applications of hydrogels","volume":"4","author":"Chirani","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Biomed. Sci."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-bioeng-060418-052422","article-title":"Hydrogel-based strategies to advance therapies for chronic skin wounds","volume":"21","author":"da Silva","year":"2019","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Biomed. Eng."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1088\/1748-605X\/acc99d","article-title":"3D printed hydrogel scaffold promotes the formation of hormone-active engineered parathyroid tissue","volume":"18","author":"Gokyurek","year":"2023","journal-title":"Biomed. Mater"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2902","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules27092902","article-title":"Hydrogels: properties and applications in biomedicine","volume":"27","author":"Ho","year":"2022","journal-title":"Molecules"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"13403","DOI":"10.1021\/acsami.4c19676","article-title":"Manganese-loaded pH-Responsive DNA hydrogels enable Tg-Guided thyroid tumor targeted magnetic resonance imaging","volume":"17","author":"Hu","year":"2025","journal-title":"ACS Appl. Mater Interfaces"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"400","DOI":"10.1097\/IOP.0000000000000130","article-title":"Hyaluronic acid gel injection for upper eyelid retraction in thyroid eye disease: functional and dynamic high-resolution ultrasound evaluation","volume":"30","author":"Kohn","year":"2014","journal-title":"Ophthalmic Plast. Reconstr. Surg."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5929","DOI":"10.1002\/pola.23607","article-title":"Hydrogels from soft contact lenses and implants to self-assembled nanomaterials","volume":"47","author":"Kope\u010dek","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e20126","DOI":"10.17795\/jjnpp-20126","article-title":"In situ gelling systems for drug delivery","volume":"9","author":"Kouchak","year":"2014","journal-title":"Jundishapur J. Nat. Pharm. Prod."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"891","DOI":"10.1177\/08853282241300587","article-title":"3D printed sodium alginate\/gelatin\/tannic acid\/calcium chloride scaffolds laden bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to repair defective thyroid cartilage plate","volume":"39","author":"Li","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Biomater. Appl."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12687","DOI":"10.1021\/acsnano.1c04206","article-title":"Functional hydrogels as wound dressing to enhance wound healing","volume":"15","author":"Liang","year":"2021","journal-title":"ACS Nano"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101334","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mtbio","article-title":"A high-water retention, self-healing hydrogel thyroid model for surgical training","volume":"29","author":"Ma","year":"2024","journal-title":"Mater Today Bio"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2101","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.accounts.9b00114","article-title":"Design of nanocomposite injectable hydrogels for minimally invasive surgery","volume":"52","author":"Piantanida","year":"2019","journal-title":"Acc. Chem. Res."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1784","DOI":"10.1002\/jcp.25283","article-title":"New treatment of medullary and papillary human thyroid cancer: biological effects of hyaluronic acid hydrogel loaded with quercetin alone or in combination to an inhibitor of Aurora kinase","volume":"231","author":"Quagliariello","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Cell Physiol."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5490","DOI":"10.1039\/c9tb01155b","article-title":"Stiff micelle-crosslinked hyaluronate hydrogels with low swelling for potential cartilage repair","volume":"7","author":"Ren","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Mater Chem. B"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"13572","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.analchem.8b03728","article-title":"Design of hydrogel particle morphology for rapid bioassays","volume":"90","author":"Shapiro","year":"2018","journal-title":"Anal. Chem."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1608709","DOI":"10.3389\/fcell.2025.1608709","article-title":"Hydrogel-driven innovations for targeted delivery, immune modulation, and tissue repair in thyroid cancer therapy","volume":"13","author":"Tang","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Cell Dev. Biol."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"301","DOI":"10.1038\/nrendo.2018.18","article-title":"Global epidemiology of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism","volume":"14","author":"Taylor","year":"2018","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Endocrinol."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"287","DOI":"10.14744\/SEMB.2023.06992","article-title":"Management of thyroid nodules","volume":"57","author":"Uludag","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sisli Etfal Hastan. Tip. Bul."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e2201596","DOI":"10.1002\/adhm.202201596","article-title":"Biomechanically-adapted immunohydrogels reconstructing myelin sheath for peripheral nerve regeneration","volume":"11","author":"Wang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Adv. Healthc. Mater"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102308","DOI":"10.1016\/j.npep.2022.102308","article-title":"The management and metabolic characterization: hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism","volume":"97","author":"Wang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Neuropeptides"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"13050","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-024-63940-w","article-title":"Cu(II)-based complex loaded with drug paclitaxel hydrogels against thyroid cancer and optimizing novel derivatives","volume":"14","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1677","DOI":"10.1021\/acsabm.0c01477","article-title":"Incorporation of bioglass improved the mechanical stability and bioactivity of Alginate\/carboxymethyl chitosan hydrogel wound dressing","volume":"4","author":"Wu","year":"2021","journal-title":"ACS Appl. Bio Mater"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1236","DOI":"10.1039\/d1tb01904j","article-title":"An in situ spontaneously forming micelle-hydrogel system with programmable release for the sequential therapy of Anaplastic thyroid cancer","volume":"10","author":"Yang","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Mater Chem. B"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1664","DOI":"10.1080\/10717544.2018.1507058","article-title":"A local drug delivery system based on visible light-cured glycol chitosan and doxorubicin\u22c5hydrochloride for thyroid cancer treatment in vitro and in vivo","volume":"25","author":"Yoo","year":"2018","journal-title":"Drug Deliv."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2420","DOI":"10.1002\/lary.28434","article-title":"Recurrent laryngeal nerve regeneration using a self-assembling peptide hydrogel","volume":"130","author":"Yoshimatsu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Laryngoscope"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmaceutics15010068","article-title":"Current progress and outlook of nano-based hydrogel dressings for wound healing","volume":"15","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Pharmaceutics"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1481295","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2024.1481295","article-title":"Development and characterization of a novel injectable thyroid extracellular matrix hydrogel for enhanced thyroid tissue engineering applications","volume":"12","author":"Zhang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fbioe.2026.1735751\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]],"date-time":"2026-01-26T07:19:21Z","timestamp":1769411961000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fbioe.2026.1735751\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]]},"references-count":33,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fbioe.2026.1735751"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fbioe.2026.1735751","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-4185"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-4185","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]]},"article-number":"1735751"}}