Progress in the application of gels in ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, non-specific inflammatory disease of the colon that is characterized by complex etiologies, challenging treatment, and high recurrence rate. At present, the main clinical therapeutic agents include suppositories, foams, and liquid enema formulations. But they have problems such as low adhesion and short drug residence time. As a new dosage form, gel has the characteristics of high bioavailability, long drug retention time, high safety and appropriate biological adhesion. This article reviews the relevant literature at home and abroad in the past five years, and analyzes and summarizes the classification of gels, prescription design of various gels, matrix selection, preparation process and pharmacological effects. The results show that the gel can effectively prolong the action time of the drug and alleviate the inflammatory response, which can offer a promising therapeutic strategy for UC management.