Insufficient intratumor drug distribution and serious adverse effects are often associated with systemic chemotherapy for cervical cancer. Considering the location of cervical cancer, access to the cervix through the vagina may provide an alternative administration route for high drug amounts at the tumor site, minimal systemic exposure as well as convenience of non-invasive self-medication. Enormous progress has been made in nanomedicine to improve mucosal penetration and enhance the effectiveness of therapy for cervical cancer. This review article first introduce the physiological state of cervicovaginal cavity and the characteristics of intravaginal environment in cervical cancers. Based on introduction to the physiological state of cervicovaginal cavity and the characteristics of intravaginal environment in cervical cancers, both "first mucus-adhering then mucosal penetration" and "first mucus-penetrating then mucosal penetration" strategies are discussed with respect to mechanism, application condition, and examples. Finally, existing challenges and future directions are envisioned in the rational design, facile synthesis, and comprehensive utilization of nanomedicine for local therapy of cervical cancer. This review is expected to provide useful reference information for future research on nanomedicine for intravaginally administered formulations for topical treatment of cervical cancer.
Keywords: cervical cancer; mucosal penetrations; mucus-adhering; mucus-penetrating; nanomedicines.
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