Precision theranostics in cervical Cancer: Harnessing stimuli-responsive hydrogels for tumor microenvironment-targeted therapy and diagnosis

Cervical cancer continues to pose a significant threat to women's health worldwide, with conventional therapies often limited by drug resistance and systemic toxicity. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels have recently emerged as promising platforms in precision oncology, owing to their ability to enable spatiotemporally controlled drug delivery, integrate multimodal theranostic functions, and dynamically interact with the tumor microenvironment (TME). This review highlights the stimuli-responsive hydrogels as precision theranostic platforms capable of targeting the unique TME of cervical cancer. We systematically categorize hydrogel systems based on their response mechanisms-pH, temperature, enzymes, light, magnetic fields, and redox conditions-and directly align these with clinical applications such as chemotherapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, and real-time diagnostics. We further explore the integration of advanced technologies including 4D printing, organoid models, and artificial intelligence (AI) for personalized treatment planning and dynamic adaptability. By offering a comprehensive and application-oriented perspective, this review provides innovative insights into the design of smart hydrogels that enhance therapeutic precision, reduce off-target effects, and improve diagnostic sensitivity in cervical cancer.