Alternative drug delivery systems for pregnancy related disorders: A focused review

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this review was to summarize currently developed advanced drug delivery systems that can be used for pregnancy related disorders along with their advantages and clinical relevance. Methods: This process used a defined search strategy of indexed publications from databases like Google scholar, PubMed, Embase, Medline, Scopus and UTMB library from 2000 to 2020   and included methods to assess the quality of the evidence retrieved. Results: Pregnancy is the unique physiological condition where some of the drugs will be lifesaving to mother, but they can be toxic to fetal tissue. It is mandatory to research on the novel drug delivery systems. Although there was a substantial quantity of research has been carried out on the maternal -placental-fetal drug uptake, transfer, and toxicity, therapeutic evaluations of advanced drug delivery systems in pregnancy remain in their infancy. Conclusions: In this review, we highlighted the physiological considerations of the placenta and summarized recent research work in advanced drug delivery systems used in pregnancy as well as their potential applications in clinical reality.