TY - JOUR
T1 - Hydrogel- and Nanocomposite-Based Drug-Delivery Strategies in the Treatment of Vaginal Infections
AU - AlAnsari, Renad
AU - Hasan, Bushra
AU - Deen, G. Roshan
AU - Torsten, Uwe
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the authors.
PY - 2024/3
Y1 - 2024/3
N2 - The reproductive health of women is governed by an optimal balance in the host–microbiota interaction. Depletion of the beneficial vaginal microflora caused by depletion of Lactobacillus species and increased proliferation of pathogens results in gynaecological infections. Among women of reproductive age, vaginal infections are increasingly prevalent. Attaining therapeutic efficacy using conventional formulations remains a challenge as vaginal fluids quickly remove or dilute the therapeutic formulations. Hydrogels have been widely exploited for targeted delivery of therapeutics directly into the vaginal mucus. With a careful choice of polymers (natural, synthetic, or semisynthetic), hydrogels with specific properties, such as stimuli responsiveness, antimicrobial, and muco-adhesiveness, can be tailored for higher therapeutic efficacy. In this review, the advances in hydrogel strategies for the treatment of vaginal infections are presented with emphasis on the types and properties that play a significant role in vaginal drug delivery systems.
AB - The reproductive health of women is governed by an optimal balance in the host–microbiota interaction. Depletion of the beneficial vaginal microflora caused by depletion of Lactobacillus species and increased proliferation of pathogens results in gynaecological infections. Among women of reproductive age, vaginal infections are increasingly prevalent. Attaining therapeutic efficacy using conventional formulations remains a challenge as vaginal fluids quickly remove or dilute the therapeutic formulations. Hydrogels have been widely exploited for targeted delivery of therapeutics directly into the vaginal mucus. With a careful choice of polymers (natural, synthetic, or semisynthetic), hydrogels with specific properties, such as stimuli responsiveness, antimicrobial, and muco-adhesiveness, can be tailored for higher therapeutic efficacy. In this review, the advances in hydrogel strategies for the treatment of vaginal infections are presented with emphasis on the types and properties that play a significant role in vaginal drug delivery systems.
KW - bacterial vaginosis
KW - biofilm
KW - hydrogels
KW - vaginal drug delivery
KW - vaginal infections
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U2 - 10.3390/polym16060775
DO - 10.3390/polym16060775
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85189103378
SN - 2073-4360
VL - 16
JO - Polymers
JF - Polymers
IS - 6
M1 - 775
ER -