Noraini Ahmad

Gout, a prevalent form of inflammatory arthritis, arises from the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in joints due to chronic hyperuricemia. Current pharmacologic monotherapies such as xanthine oxidase inhibitors, uricosurics, NSAIDs, corticosteroids, and colchicine are often limited by inadequate dual-action efficacy, suboptimal bioavailability, and systemic side effects. Emerging nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems offer a promising alternative by improving pharmacokinetics and enhancing targeted delivery to inflamed tissues. While co-encapsulation of multiple therapeutics remains underexplored in gout, advances in related inflammatory diseases support its future application. This review explores the limitations of conventional gout therapies and highlights recent advancements in nanocarrier technologies, including liposomes, niosomes, and ethosomes, for delivering both anti-inflammatory and urate-lowering agents. Special attention is given to functionalization strategies that allow for site-specific delivery and sequential drug release, particularly in the acidic and oxidative microenvironments characteristic of acute gout flares. Co-delivery of agents such as allopurinol or febuxostat with NSAIDs or corticosteroids may reduce pill burden, improve therapeutic synergy, and enhance patient adherence. While clinical translation remains in early stages, the mechanistic rationale and encouraging preclinical outcomes of responsive, functionalized nanocarriers underscore their potential to advance precision medicine in gout management.

Introduction: Plant-based phospholipid (PP) liposomes are sustainable, biocompatible, and biodegradable carriers with advantages over synthetic and animal-derived lipids, including lower immunogenic risk and abundant availability from sources such as soy, sunflower, and canola. This systematic review examines their characteristics, innovations, and applications in breast cancer (BCA) therapy. Methods: A total of 43 studies published between 2010 and June 2025 were identified from MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science, focusing on PP composition, drug delivery mechanisms, and therapeutic efficacy in in vitro, in vivo, and preclinical BCA models. Results: Advances include nanotechnology and ligand-targeted systems that improve stability, control drug release, and enhance tumor-specific uptake. PP liposomes co-loaded with chemotherapeutics showed synergistic anticancer effects, increased tumor accumulation, and reduced systemic toxicity. Personalized targeting strategies further improved therapeutic precision and minimized off-target effects. Conclusions: PP liposomes offer an innovative and environmentally sustainable approach for BCA treatment with demonstrated preclinical benefits in efficacy and safety. Translation to clinical practice requires standardized characterization, scalable production, and well-designed trials to confirm safety, dosing, and long-term effectiveness.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by synovitis, systemic inflammation and autoantibodies, leading to joint damage and disability.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by hyperproliferation of keratinocytes, immune dysregulation, and abnormal epidermal differentiation. Its pathogenesis involves complex interactions among keratinocytes, fibroblasts, T cells, and myeloid cells, where dynamic cytoskeletal and extracellular matrix changes critically mediate intercellular communication. Emerging evidence highlights the pivotal roles of miRNAs and exosomes in coordinating these processes: miRNAs regulate cytoskeletal organization and extracellular matrix composition, while exosomes act as intercellular messengers that deliver miRNA-mediated signals, collectively shaping cell behavior and disease progression. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how miRNA-exosome networks drive cytoskeleton-extracellular matrix crosstalk in psoriasis, emphasizing their implications for cellular communication and tissue remodeling. By elucidating these mechanisms, we identify potential therapeutic opportunities to target pathogenic signaling pathways, offering new strategies for psoriasis management.

This study analyzes women entrepreneurship and socioeconomic growth in Malaysia. In this research, four factors and obstacles facing entrepreneurial growth were identified. To answer these four objectives, the research was conducted using a focus group method. A selected group of 10 female entrepreneurs were interviewed online focus group discussions. A structured questionnaire was also distributed to the 10 participating entrepreneurs which was analyzed using the NVIVO software package. The research results were tabulated based on four themes and subthemes. In conclusion, this research has established a socioeconomic model of women’s entrepreneurship in Malaysia. The causal relationship model configures variables as the main guide for stakeholders and entrepreneurial practitioners. This research is a phenomenological study of women’s entrepreneurship and its influence on their socioeconomic growth in Malaysia. The study provides implications for stakeholders in overcoming women’s entrepreneurship problems and obstacles to women’s business growth. Further research on women’s entrepreneurship in industrial and business sectors is recommended. Keywords: women entrepreneurship, social economic growth

Chitosan, a versatile biopolymer derived from chitin, has garnered significant attention in various biomedical applications due to its unique properties, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mucoadhesiveness. This review provides an overview of the diverse applications of chitosan and its derivatives in the antibacterial, anticancer, wound healing, and tissue engineering fields. In antibacterial applications, chitosan exhibits potent antimicrobial properties by disrupting microbial membranes and DNA, making it a promising natural preservative and agent against bacterial infections. Its role in cancer therapy involves the development of chitosan-based nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery, enhancing therapeutic efficacy while minimising side effects. Chitosan also plays a crucial role in wound healing by promoting cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and regulating inflammatory responses. Additionally, chitosan serves as a multifunctional scaffold in tissue engineering, facilitating the regeneration of diverse tissues such as cartilage, bone, and neural tissue by promoting cell adhesion and proliferation. The extensive range of applications for chitosan in pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences is not only highlighted by the comprehensive scope of this review, but it also establishes it as a fundamental component for forthcoming research in biomedicine.

Gout is an inflammatory arthropathy resulting from the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in and around joints, triggering the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Some of the key principles for managing gout are encompassing comorbidity screening, gout flare treatment, urate-lowering therapy, and anti-inflammatory prophylaxis. One of the major concerns with gout treatment is the side effects of drug due to uncontrolled biodistribution. Nanocarrier systems are utilized to surmount the limitations of current drugs, including not only biodistribution issues but also the stability and bioavailability of the drugs. Nanocarriers as promising drug delivery systems can effectively deliver drugs by specifically targeting inflamed tissues through enhanced permeability and retention effect mediated delivery. Notable examples include liposomes, niosomes, ethosomes, transfersomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, and liquid crystalline nanoparticles, namely, cubosomes, hexosomes, and spongosomes. These nanocarriers hold great promise as vehicles for transporting poorly therapeutic agents to precise target sites, associated with controlled release capabilities to bolster bioavailability. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of nanocarrier-based therapies in reducing inflammation by specifically targeting inflamed tissues, inhibiting urate crystal formation, and improving joint function in animal models of gout. In this review, we explore the main nanocarrier systems, including their respective advantages and drawbacks, and emphasize their role in nanoformulations for advancing gout treatment. The encapsulation of active agents within nanocarriers for gout therapy represents a significant advancement in the pharmaceutical area and nanomedicine application to succeed in the overall context of gout treatment in the near future.