Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) affects a significant proportion of women during reproductive years, with recurrent infections posing a considerable therapeutic challenge. Conventional treatments, such as clotrimazole (Clo) administration, often require frequent application due to low aqueous solubility and rapid clearance. To address these issues, a novel hydrogel-based drug delivery system (DDS) was developed, combining β-cyclodextrins (β-CD) for Clo encapsulation and halloysite nanotubes (HNT) for curcumin (Cur) delivery. A novel hydrogel-based drug delivery system (DDS) was developed to address these limitations to enhance drug solubility, retention, and localized release. β-CD enhanced Clo's solubility and prolonged antifungal effects, while HNT ensured sustained Cur release for up to 5 days, offering anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial benefits. The hydrogel matrix improved drug retention and stability, with HNT reinforcing its mechanical properties for durability under moderate strain. Microbiological tests demonstrated potent antifungal activity, with inhibition zones of 39.2 ± 0.2 mm, 39.1 ± 0.2 mm, and 42.1 ± 0.2 mm against C. krusei, C. albicans 10231, and C. parapsilosis 22019, respectively. Drug release studies revealed a rapid burst release of Clo within the first 30 min, followed by prolonged Cur release. This dual-action hydrogel targets fungal infections, oxidative stress, and inflammation, providing enhanced therapeutic outcomes and improved patient adherence.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2025.123412 | DOI Listing |
Mol Pharm
March 2025
Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
Positive surgical margins following radical prostatectomy significantly contribute to tumor recurrence. While systemic chemotherapy demonstrates limited efficacy in this context, local chemotherapy drug delivery systems based on nanomaterials offer promising strategies to address this issue by modifying drug release kinetics and distribution, thereby enhancing antitumor effects while minimizing the toxicities associated with systemic chemotherapy. In this study, we utilized electrospun nanofibrous mats loaded with docetaxel for sustained drug delivery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Drug Alcohol Abuse
March 2025
School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
Tobacco 21 (T21) laws (prohibiting tobacco sales under age 21) and flavor restrictions have recently been enacted, yet little is known about the extent to which these policies shifted adolescent tobacco use. To examine the associations between state-level T21 laws and flavor restrictions with adolescent tobacco use overall and by age. We linked state-level T21 laws and flavor restrictions with individual-level data on self-reported levels of cigarette, cigar, and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use among 979,477 (500,205 female/479,272 male) 14-18+-year-olds from the 2011-2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Immunol
January 2025
Center for Inflammation, Immunity and Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Current influenza vaccines are not effective in conferring protection against antigenic variants and pandemics. To improve cross-protection of influenza vaccination, we developed a 5xM2e messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine encoding the tandem repeat conserved ectodomain (M2e) of ion channel protein M2 derived from human, swine, and avian influenza A viruses. The lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated 5xM2e mRNA vaccine was immunogenic, eliciting high levels of M2e-specific IgG antibodies, IFN-γ+ T cells, T follicular helper cells, germinal center phenotypic B cells, and plasma cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth (London)
March 2025
Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Australia.
This article examines how drug education professionals understand and respond to the relationship between alcohol and other drug consumption, sex and harm. While recent research examines how these issues are addressed in drug education curriculum, little is known about the perspectives of professionals involved in education design and delivery. Research suggests that agency is centrally important for understanding experiences of harmful, pleasurable or ambiguous sexual encounters in consumption settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Transl Med
March 2025
Hagey Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Postoperative abdominal adhesions are the leading cause of bowel obstruction and a cause of chronic pain and infertility. Adhesion formation occurs after 50 to 90% of abdominal operations and has no proven preventative or treatment strategy. Abdominal adhesions derive primarily from the visceral peritoneum and are composed of polyclonally proliferating tissue-resident fibroblasts.
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