Nanomedicine in the Topical Management of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis: An Overview of In Vivo Data

The continuous increase in vulvovaginal candidiasis cases worldwide is a global health concern that requires being addressed using innovative approaches. The current incidence of recurrent cases of the disease is particularly alarming, and this is not predicted to decrease in the coming years. Virulence factors of Candida spp. are still not entirely understood and the relevance of resistance to antifungal treatment, as well as differences between Candida species, must be considered when designing therapies. In this review, the key concepts of vulvovaginal candidiasis are introduced, and the potential of nanotechnology-based approaches being developed for mitigating the infection is highlighted. Several nanosystems proposed in recent years (including drug-loaded nanoparticles and intrinsically antifungal nanomaterials) are presented and their efficacy, as tested in animal models, is discussed in detail. Limitations of in vivo models are also specified and considerations for future work are addressed.