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Pharmaceutics
Special Issues
Drug Delivery in the Reproductive Systems
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Drug Delivery in the Reproductive Systems

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Delivery and Controlled Release".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 1921

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yahya E. Choonara

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
Interests: drug delivery; biomaterials; nanomedicine; computational pharmaceutics; neurotherapeutics; polymers; 3D bioprinting; pharmaceutics; pharmaceutical formulation; targeted drug therapy; ocular drug delivery; colloidal systems; tissue engineering; infectious diseases; oncology; HIV; tuberculosis; STIs; malaria; wound healing; protein/peptide therapeutics; nucleic acid delivery systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mershen Govender

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
Interests: controlled release systems; mucosal delivery; nanotechnology; nutraceuticals; pharmaceutical microbiology; infectious diseases; oncology; biomaterials; tissue engineering; additive manufacturing and 3D bioprinting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The human reproductive system is a complex environment that is predisposed to a range of infections, physical injuries, physiological changes, autoimmune conditions and ailments. Reproductive system cancers; bacterial, fungal and viral infections; and hormonal fluctuations due to physiological changes or environmental causes have a significant impact on patient quality of life, with broader societal and economic effects. Extensive research into the causes and treatment of conditions involving the human reproductive system is needed to prevent and overcome these ailments. The aim of this Special Issue, therefore, is to showcase original research articles and reviews focusing on advanced drug delivery platforms for the treatment of conditions within the human reproductive system.

Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Novel synthesis of delivery systems, drug formulations, and development technologies for the treatment of conditions related to the human reproductive system;
  2. Novel prophylactic treatment platforms for conditions related to the human reproductive system;
  3. Targeting of specific cell populations or intracellular targeting in the human reproductive system environment;
  4. Design of advanced targeted drug delivery devices for increased dosing accuracy and reproducibility;
  5. Advanced drug delivery approaches for biopharmaceuticals including vaccines, antibiotics, nucleic acids, proteins and peptides.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Yahya E. Choonara
Dr. Mershen Govender
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • drug delivery
  • reproductive health
  • bacterial, fungal and viral infections
  • hormonal treatment
  • genitourinary cancer
  • menopause
  • infertility
  • endometriosis
  • PCOS
  • erectile dysfunction

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 6791 KiB  
Article
Targeted Drug Therapy for Senescent Cells Alleviates Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction-Induced Renal Injury in Rats
by Ting Li, Kexin Yang, Yinghao Tong, Shangze Guo, Wei Gao and Xiangyu Zou
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(6), 695; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16060695 - 23 May 2024
Viewed by 269
Abstract
Hydronephrosis resulting from unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) is a common cause of renal injury, often progressing to late-stage renal fibrosis or even potential renal failure. Renal injury and repair processes are accompanied by changes in cellular senescence phenotypes. However, the mechanism is poorly [...] Read more.
Hydronephrosis resulting from unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) is a common cause of renal injury, often progressing to late-stage renal fibrosis or even potential renal failure. Renal injury and repair processes are accompanied by changes in cellular senescence phenotypes. However, the mechanism is poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to clarify the changes in senescence phenotype at different time points in renal disease caused by UUO and to further investigate whether eliminating senescent cells using the anti-senescence drug ABT263 could attenuate UUO-induced renal disease. Specifically, renal tissues were collected from established UUO rat models on days 1, 2, 7, and 14. The extent of renal tissue injury and fibrosis in rats was assessed using histological examination, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen levels. The apoptotic and proliferative capacities of renal tissues and phenotypic changes in cellular senescence were evaluated. After the intervention of the anti-senescence drug ABT263, the cellular senescence as well as tissue damage changes were re-assessed. We found that before the drug intervention, the UUO rats showed significantly declined renal function, accompanied by renal tubular injury, increased inflammatory response, and oxidative stress, alongside aggravated cellular senescence. Meanwhile, after the treatment with ABT263, the rats had a significantly lower number of senescent cells, attenuated renal tubular injury and apoptosis, enhanced proliferation, reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, improved renal function, and markedly inhibited fibrosis. This suggests that the use of the anti-senescence drug ABT263 to eliminate senescent cells can effectively attenuate UUO-induced renal injury. This highlights the critical role of cellular senescence in the transformation of acute injury into chronic fibrosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Delivery in the Reproductive Systems)
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25 pages, 5557 KiB  
Article
A Novel Intrauterine Device for the Spatio-Temporal Release of Norethindrone Acetate as a Counter-Estrogenic Intervention in the Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
by Ahmed Abdelgader, Mershen Govender, Pradeep Kumar and Yahya E. Choonara
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(5), 587; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16050587 - 26 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1271
Abstract
The genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is a widely occurring condition affecting millions of women worldwide. The current treatment of GSM involves the use of orally or vaginally administered estrogens, often with the risk of endometrial hyperplasia. The utilization of progestogens offers a [...] Read more.
The genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is a widely occurring condition affecting millions of women worldwide. The current treatment of GSM involves the use of orally or vaginally administered estrogens, often with the risk of endometrial hyperplasia. The utilization of progestogens offers a means to counteract the effects of estrogen on the endometrial tissue, decreasing unwanted side effects and improving therapeutic outcomes. In this study, a norethindrone acetate (NETA)-loaded, hollow, cylindrical, and sustained release platform has been designed, fabricated, and optimized for implantation in the uterine cavity as a counter-estrogenic intervention in the treatment of GSM. The developed system, which comprises ethyl cellulose (EC) and polycaprolactone (PCL), has been statistically optimized using a two-factor, two-level factorial design, with the mechanical properties, degradation, swelling, and in vitro drug release of NETA from the device evaluated. The morphological characteristics of the platform were further investigated through scanning electron microscopy in addition to cytocompatibility studies using NIH/3T3 cells. Results from the statistical design highlighted the platform with the highest NETA load and the EC-to-PCL ratio that exhibited favorable release and weight loss profiles. The drug release data for the optimal formulation were best fitted with the Peppas–Sahlin model, implicating both diffusion and polymer relaxation in the release mechanism, with cell viability results noting that the prepared platform demonstrated favorable cytocompatibility. The significant findings of this study firmly establish the developed platform as a promising candidate for the sustained release of NETA within the uterine cavity. This functionality serves as a counter-estrogenic intervention in the treatment of GSM, with the platform holding potential for further advanced biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Delivery in the Reproductive Systems)
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