Sammanfattning
Nanotechnology applied to drug delivery shows a great potential, with several nanosystems
already on the market and a number of nanocarriers in research pipelines. Among others, polymeric
micelles, dendrimers, liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles are of great interest as nanodelivery
systems. The potential of nanotechnology in vaginal drug therapy is not yet fully exploited. A major
concern of current therapy is the high reoccurrences rate due to incomplete eradication of the
infection. Despite the necessity of an adequate treatment and the serious consequences of these
infections, such as sterility, formation of precancerous lesions, and premature birth, the therapeutic
options remain to be limited. Local treatment continues to disappoint clinically, potentially due to use
of inadequate drug formulation. Drug delivery challenges such as mucosal barriers, vaginal pH and
local physiological changes need to be taken into consideration when designing delivery systems.
Nanocarriers may improve the effect of drugs and vaginal drug delivery. Those shown to be suitable
vaginal drug delivery systems, and applicable in therapy of genital infections, are discussed in this
review.