Divya Dheer

Background: Portal cavernoma, a complex vascular disease characterized by the formation of a branch structure because of portal vein thrombosis, remains a significant clinical concern. This study explores the current understanding of the molecular mechanism, including dysregulation of angiogenesis signaling, immunological chain reactions and impaired endothelial function for cavernoma development. Objective: There is no FDA-approved specific drug for portal vein complications. Hence objective of this review is to maximize treatment and enhance patient outcomes, by a collaborative effort, comprising gastrointestinal specialists, interventional radiologists and hepatobiliary surgeons to improve long-term results and quality of life for these patients. Methods: Drug therapies aimed at VEGF, or TGF-β, along with hypoxia-inducible elements, exhibit potential to manage portal cavernoma. Current biological findings have uncovered new pathways driving their origins, resulting in possible drug targets and novel treatment techniques. Growing approaches to treatment, mainly anti-angiogenic medications, focused on genetic therapy and immune system modulation, suggest the potential in addition to conventional blood coagulation, along with surgical techniques. Results: Current treatment strategies frequently rely on case reports that lack defined treatment standards. Long-term outcomes of various therapeutic techniques, optimal anticoagulation strategies and the involvement of endovascular or surgical therapies are all important areas that require additional research. Despite the serious clinical implications, portal cavernoma remains underrepresented in the literature. Conclusion: This review highlighted the requirement for necessary clinical understanding for management and further investigation into this complex disorder and also covers the gaps in understanding molecular mechanisms, utilizing standardized therapeutic strategies and focusing on individualized treatment plans for patients of portal cavernoma.

Despite their broad clinical use, conventional drug delivery technologies are still limited by inadequate bioavailability, non-specific biodistribution, and uncontrolled drug release, which compromise therapeutic efficacy and safety. With their customizable molecular architecture, physicochemical adaptability, and multifunctional, stimuli-responsive design, next-generation polymeric materials overcome these constraints and allow for precise, site-specific, and regulated therapeutic action. In addition to stimuli-responsive platforms and structurally diverse nanocarriers such as nanoparticles, micelles, dendrimers, polymerases, and nanogels, this review critically examines the molecular and physicochemical design principles, nanoengineering and fabrication strategies, such as self-assembly, microfluidics, and emerging 3D/4D printing. Moreover, the passive, active, and organelle-level targeting mechanisms that govern these systems. In addition to clinical translation challenges, existing research gaps, and emerging directions like sustainable polymer chemistry, AI-driven design, adaptive 4D-printed systems, and personalized therapeutics, their disease-specific applications in cancer, neurological, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases, chronic wound healing, and regenerative medicine are critically evaluated. When taken as a whole, next-generation polymeric materials provide a flexible, clinically translatable platform for accurate, effective, and safe therapeutic intervention. However, they also highlight the crucial issues that need to be addressed in order to expedite clinical translation.

Introduction/Objective: The problem of biofilm infections is of considerable clinical importance because of the presence of an EPS matrix, metabolic heterogeneity, and antimicrobial tolerance, leading to low penetration of antibiotics and contributing to the failure of therapy and the development of antimicrobial resistance. This review attempts to emphasize the advantages of using nanogel-based transdermal drug delivery for the efficient treatment of biofilm-associated infections. Methods: The review of the relevant literature has been conducted in order to assess the potential of nanogel-based delivery systems, especially as transdermal approaches in the therapy of biofilmassociated infections. Results: Nanogels have unique properties: they are nano-sized, contain high amounts of water, and are polymeric, allowing them to penetrate into biofilms. They can load hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds and allow the co-delivery of antibiotics with agents that disrupt biofilms, such as enzymes and quorum-sensing inhibitors. In transdermal formulations, nanogels can offer controlled drug release, improved penetration and retention in the tissues, and lower systemic exposure. The preclinical results show enhanced biofilm disruption, low minimum biofilm eradication concentration, and faster wound healing. Discussion: Some of the recent developments are hybrid systems that combine nanogels with microneedles or hydrogel patches that can ensure site-specific and controlled drug delivery. Patent developments such as WO2023212124A1, EP4514412A1, and US 11,129,975 further support this fact and reflect the translational potential of these systems. Nonetheless, scalability and stability have emerged as major obstacles to clinical translation. Conclusion: Nanogel-mediated transdermal delivery is one of the most exciting approaches that could be used for treating biofilm infections. Though faced with some issues such as scalability, stability, sterilization, and standardization, development of smart materials and drug delivery systems and personalized medicine could help in translating this approach into clinical use.

Background/Objectives: Wound management presents a substantial clinical challenge due to the rising incidence of chronic wounds, infections, and the limitations of conventional dressings in creating an ideal healing microenvironment. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of advanced smart hydrogel platforms designed to improve wound healing outcomes, focusing on their capacity to respond adaptively to physiological and external stimuli. Methods: This article analyzes the core characteristics of smart hydrogels, specifically examining stimuli-responsive systems (pH, temperature, enzyme, light, and electricity). The review evaluates advanced configurations—including injectable, self-healing, and 3D-printable systems—and functionalized hydrogels integrated with antimicrobials, drugs, and nanocomposites. Additionally, essential characterization methodologies, biological assessments, and regulatory considerations for clinical translation are synthesized. Results: The literature, which is predominantly preclinical in nature, indicates that functionalized hydrogels significantly enhance tissue regeneration, angiogenesis, and infection control compared to traditional methods. Conductive hydrogels utilizing bioelectrical signals show particular promise in accelerating the healing process. While current clinical applications and commercial products demonstrate efficacy, significant barriers remain regarding large-scale manufacturing and regulatory approval. Conclusions: Smart hydrogels represent a transformative approach to precision wound management, offering superior adaptability and therapeutic delivery. To achieve widespread clinical adoption, future research must address manufacturing scalability and focus on emerging trends, such as the integration of biosensors and AI-powered monitoring systems, to create fully intelligent wound care solutions.

Recent advancements in wound healing technologies focus on incorporating herbal bioactives into biopolymeric formulations. A biocompatible matrix that promotes healing is provided by biopolymeric wound dressings. These dressings use components such as ulvan, hyaluronic acid, starch, cellulose, chitosan, alginate, gelatin, and pectin. These natural polymers assist in three crucial processes, namely, cell adhesion, proliferation, and moisture retention, all of which are necessary for effective wound repair. Curcumin, quercetin, Aloe vera, Vinca alkaloids, and Centella asiatica are some of the herbal bioactives that are included in biopolymeric formulations. They have powerful anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities. Chitosan, cellulose, collagen, alginate, and hyaluronic acid are some of the biopolymers that have shown promise in clinical trials for wound healing. These trials have also confirmed the safety and functional performance of these materials. Their recent advancements in wound care can be understood by the increasing number of patents linked to these formulations. These innovative dressings improve healing outcomes in acute and chronic wounds while minimizing adverse effects by incorporating biopolymers with herbal bioactives in an efficient manner. This review emphasizes that the development of next-generation wound care products can be facilitated via the integration of natural materials and bioactive substances.

Hepatic encephalopathy and other neurodegenerative disorders have profound implications for extensive liver impairment, calling for new ways of treating the condition. The application of stem cell transplantation to treat these severe disorders is a new and encouraging technique. This review article digs deep into the subject of stem cell transplantation therapy, neurodegenerative disorders associated with advanced liver damage, and liver transplantation. It comprehensively analyses the background, rationale, scope, and objectives of using stem cells to treat such challenging conditions. The topic of discussion includes the subtleties of neurodegenerative disorders, the function of liver transplantation, and the possible advantages and disadvantages associated with it. The relevance of patient selection, intraoperative concerns and post-transplant care is discussed. Further, the article explores how stem cell-based therapies can benefit from nanotechnology, specifically how it can improve stem cell distribution, survival, and integration for better therapeutic results. This review aims to offer a thorough analysis of regenerative medicine’s present and future possibilities in dealing with the intricate relationship between neurodegeneration and liver damage. It does this by examining the efficacy, safety, and long-term impacts of stem cell transplantation in treating neurodegenerative disorders associated with advanced liver damage. This will incorporate insights from ongoing clinical trials, the patent landscape, and future directions. The goal is to pave the way for innovative and personalized treatment approaches in this evolving research and clinical practice field. Therefore, these efforts represent a promising frontier in medical research that can alleviate the burden of HE and associated neurological complications combined with liver cirrhosis.

Wounds, which are becoming more common as a result of traumas, surgery, burns, and chronic illnesses like diabetes, remain a critical medical problem. Infectious bacteria impact the healing process, particularly if its biofilm (biological films) leads to a prolonged effect. Nanomaterials have emerged as promising candidates in the field of wound healing due to their unique properties and versatile applications. New insights into the interactions between nanomaterials and wound microenvironments have shed light on the mechanisms underlying their therapeutic effects. However, a significantly minimal amount of research has been carried out to see if these nanomaterials significantly promote the wound healing process. In this review, we provided an outline of the various types of nanomaterials that have been studied for healing wounds and infection prevention. Overall, the utilization of nanomaterials in wound healing holds great promise and continues to evolve, providing new opportunities for the development of effective and efficient wound care therapies.

Nanoformulations have become increasingly useful as drug delivery technologies in recent decades. As therapeutics, oral administration is the most common delivery method, although it is not always the most effective route because of challenges with swallowing, gastrointestinal discomfort, low solubility, and poor absorption. One of the most significant barriers that medications must overcome to exert a therapeutic effect is the impact of the first hepatic transit. Studies have shown that controlled-release systems using nanoparticles composed of biodegradable natural polymers significantly improve oral administration, which is why these materials have attracted significant attention. Chitosan possesses a wide variety of properties and functions in the pharmaceutical as well as healthcare industries. Drug encapsulation and transport within the body are two of its most important features. Moreover, chitosan can enhance drug efficacy by facilitating drug interaction with target cells. Based on its physicochemical properties, chitosan can potentially be synthesized into nanoparticles, and this review summarizes recent advances and applications of orally delivered chitosan nanoparticle interventions.

In the past, wounds were treated with natural materials, but modern wound dressings include functional elements to expedite the process of healing and to improve skin recovery. Due to their exceptional properties, nanofibrous wound dressings are now the most cutting-edge and desirable option. Similar in structure to the skin’s own extracellular matrix (ECM), these dressings can promote tissue regeneration, wound fluid transportation, and air ductility for cellular proliferation and regeneration owing to their nanostructured fibrous meshes or scaffolds. Many academic search engines and databases, such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and Sciencedirect, were used to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the literature for the purposes of this investigation. Using the term “nanofibrous meshes” as a keyword, this paper focuses on the importance of phytoconstituents. This review article summarizes the most recent developments and conclusions from studies on bioactive nanofibrous wound dressings infused with medicinal plants. Several wound-healing methods, wound-dressing materials, and wound-healing components derived from medicinal plants were also discussed.