Between 2008 and 2017, research on biologically responsive materials consolidated hydrogel and polymer systems as active, programmable components for medical technologies. Researchers emphasized multi-stimuli responsiveness, mechanical robustness, and integration with devices, enabling on-demand drug delivery, tissue engineering, and remote actuation through cues such as temperature, pH, light, and magnetic fields. The methodological shift toward modular designs, biointerface compatibility, and additive fabrication underpinned rapid translation to biointegrated therapies and soft robotics.