title: Vaginal drug delivery: strategies and concerns in polymeric nanoparticle development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vaginal infection is widespread and > 80% of females encounter such infections during their lives. Topical treatment and prevention of vaginal infection allows direct therapeutic action, reduced drug doses and adverse effects, convenient administration and improved compliance. The advent of nanotechnology results in the use of nanoparticulate vehicle to control drug release, to enhance dosage form mucoadhesive properties and vaginal retention, and to promote mucus and epithelium permeation for both extracellular and intracellular drug delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review discusses the conflicting formulation requirements on polymeric nanoparticles in order to have them mucoadhesive and retentive in vaginal tract, while able to penetrate through mucus to reach adherent mucus layer or epithelium surfaces to prolong extracellular drug release, or facilitate mucosal permeation and intracellular drug delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nanoscale systems are potentially useful in topical vaginal drug delivery. A thorough understanding of their mucus penetration and retention behavior as a function of their formulation, size and surface properties, biorecognition, pH, temperature or other stimuli responsiveness is essential for design of therapeutically effective nanomatrices.
authors: Universiti Teknologi MARA, Non-Destructive Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Centre , Puncak Alam, 42300, Selangor , Malaysia +60 3 32584691 ; wongtinwui@salam.uitm.edu.my.
authors: Tin Wui
authors: TW
authors: Wong
authors: Meenakshi
authors: M
authors: Dhanawat
authors: Michael John
authors: MJ
authors: Rathbone
mesh_terms: D000282:Administration, Intravaginal; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D053758:Nanoparticles; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D014621:Vagina / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D011108:Polymers
keywords: drug delivery; mucoadhesive; mucus penetration; nanoparticle; vagina; vaginal retention