Biomaterials for women's health: Recent progress in nanomaterials and innovative therapies for endometriosis treatment

Urbanek O, Olga Urbanek, Magdalena Osial, Osial M, Angelika Zaszczyńska, Zaszczyńska A, Luśtyk Ł, Łukasz Luśtyk, Łukasz Lustyk, Pavone M, Matteo Pavone
Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 2026 · vol. 201 , pp. 119734 · doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2026.119734 · PMID:42442302 · W7168185020
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This paper reviews nanomedicine and scaffold-based technologies for site-specific drug delivery to treat endometriosis, aiming to enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity compared to current systemic therapies.

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Abstract

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity. Despite significant advances in understanding its pathophysiology, the clinical management of endometriosis remains a profound challenge. The disease is a leading cause of pelvic pain and infertility, significantly impairing the quality of life of affected individuals. Although endometriosis is histologically benign, its progressive, invasive nature and high recurrence rate pose serious morbidity risks, necessitating long-term therapeutic intervention. Current pharmacological treatments, primarily based on hormonal suppression, are often limited by systemic adverse effects, low patient adherence, and a lack of efficacy in preventing disease progression in refractory cases. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop novel, targeted therapeutic strategies that overcome the limitations of systemic administration. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of preclinical research on advanced drug delivery systems for endometriosis therapy. We focus on nanomedicine and fibrous scaffold-based technologies, highlighting their potential to enable site-specific drug release, enhance therapeutic efficacy, and minimize off-target toxicity. Furthermore, we discuss the application of these systems in therapies utilizing external stimuli for precise drug release and the targeted elimination of ectopic lesions.

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MeSH descriptors

Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials Biocompatible Materials

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

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