Due to their large surface area, tunable size, well-defined pore structure, and easy surface modification, mesoporous silica NPs (MSNs) represent a material of choice for the formulation of high-load, sustained-release, hybrid drug delivery systems used in the treatment of solid tumors, infections and tissue healing. For instance, encapsulation of Dox at a loading content of 20 wt% was achieved in MSNs featuring redox-responsive diselenide bond in their structure. When exposed to ROS, these bonds undergo cleavage causing the destabilization of the NPs and in turn, leading to the controlled, on-demand release of the entrapped drug. To facilitate localized drug delivery, it was proposed to embed these MSNs in a methylcellulose (MC) hydrogel loaded with IR820, a green cyanine dye. Upon NIR irradiation, the hydrogel exhibited consistent singlet oxygen generation and photothermal conversion capabilities making it well-suited for combined and repeated thermal-chemotherapy cycles. Other silicon-based materials, such as silicon dioxide (SiO2) NPs and nanosilicate clays (i.e., laponite (Lap), montmorillonite (Mmt)) have been introduced into the formulation of hybrid hydrogels primarily as physical reinforcing agents. However, the resulting materials also acquire improved biological features, being capable for instance, to promote the synthesis of COL I and induce osteogenic differentiation of human MSC (hMSC), even in the absence of exogenous growth factors. Accordingly, these materials appear suitable for treatment of bone-related diseases.