Recent advances in electrospun nanofiber vaginal formulations for women's sexual and reproductive health

Abstract

Electrospinning is an innovative technique that allows production of nanofibers and microfibers by applying a high voltage to polymer solutions of melts. The properties of these fibers – which include high surface area, high drug loading capacity, and ability to be manufactured from mucoadhesive polymers – may be particularly useful in a myriad of drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. The last decade has witnessed a surge of interest in the application of electrospinning technology for the fabrication of vaginal drug delivery systems for the treatment and prevention of diseases associated with women's sexual and reproductive health, including sexually transmitted infections (e.g. infection with human immunodeficiency virus and herpes simplex virus) vaginitis, preterm birth, contraception, multipurpose prevention technology strategies, cervicovaginal cancer, and general maintenance of vaginal health. Due to their excellent mechanical properties, electrospun scaffolds are also being investigated as next-generation materials in the surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse. In this article, we review the latest advances in the field.