In this comprehensive review, we delve into the evolution of drug delivery systems in reproductive medicine with a focus on the emerging role of exosomes, a class of extracellular vesicles. Exosomes offer unique advantages in overcoming these challenges due to their inherent biocompatibility, stability, and ability to facilitate targeted delivery. This review provides a detailed examination of exosome biogenesis and their function in cellular communication, setting the stage for understanding their potential as drug delivery vehicles. We explore the mechanisms through which exosomes can be loaded with small molecule drugs and the benefits they offer over synthetic nanoparticles. The review highlights groundbreaking case studies that illustrate the successful application of exosome-mediated drug delivery in reproductive health, including enhancing fertility treatments, supporting gamete and embryo development, and facilitating maternal-fetal communication. This study aims to provide a precise understanding of how exosomal drug delivery can revolutionize treatments for reproductive health disorders, paving the way for future therapeutic applications. Lastly, we touch upon the promising therapeutic implications of exosomal delivery for proteins and genes, offering a window into future treatments for reproductive health disorders.

Purpose To investigate interhemispheric homotopic functional connectivity in patients with neuropsychological systemic lupus erythematosus(NPSLE)during resting state and its relationship with clinical indicators and neuropsychological scales.Materials and Methods This prospective study enrolled 35 patients with NPSLE and 31 healthy controls(control group)from Taizhou People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University(June 2020 to March 2023).All participants underwent resting state functional MRI and completed neuropsychological assessments including mini-mental state examination,Montreal cognitive assessment,hospital anxiety and depression scale,fatigue scale for motor and cognitive functions,along with laboratory tests(C3,C4,IgA,IgM,IgG).Image preprocessing and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity(VMHC)calculations were performed using DPABI V7.0 on Matlab R2013b.Between-group differences in VMHC values were compared,and correlations between VMHC values in significant regions and neuropsychological/clinical data were analyzed.Results The NPSLE group demonstrated significantly lower mini-mental state examination and Montreal cognitive assessment scores compared with those in control group(t=-6.297,-7.001,both P=0.001).Patients with NPSLE exhibited significantly decreased VMHC values in bilateral parahippocampal gyri,precentral gyri,middle frontal gyri,and medial/paracingulate gyri compared with those in control group(family-wise error corrected,voxel-level P<0.001,cluster-level P<0.05).In the NPSLE group,VMHC values in precentral gyri showed positive correlation with IgA levels(r=0.351,P=0.039),while VMHC values in medial/paracingulate gyri positively correlated with IgA(r=0.345,P=0.043)and negatively with C4(r=-0.368,P=0.030).Conclusion Patients with NPSLE demonstrate abnormal interhemispheric homotopic functional connectivity,and the correlation between imaging metrics and clinical data in differential brain regions may facilitate early diagnosis of NPSLE while providing novel insights into the neuropathological mechanisms of cerebral injury.

Purpose In this study,tract-based spatial statistical analysis was used to analyze the diffusion tensor imaging(DTI)data of breast cancer patients after chemotherapy,to observe the changes of white matter microstructure after chemotherapy and their correlation with neuropsychological cognitive test results,and to provide imaging markers for the evaluation of brain injury after chemotherapy for breast cancer.Materials and Methods A total of 29 patients with breast cancer before chemotherapy treatment and 30 patients with breast cancer after chemotherapy treatment were enrolled in the study from November 2022 to June 2023 in the Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University.Neuropsychological cognitive test[Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA),mini-mental state examination(MMSE)]and whole brain DTI examination were respectively performed in the two groups.Fractional anisotropy(FA)and mean diffusivity(MD)were used to compare the differences between the two groups at the structural level.The correlation between the results of DTI and neuropsychological cognitive test was analyzed.Results Compared with the patients with breast cancer before chemotherapy treatment group,patients with breast cancer after chemotherapy treatment group had decreased FA values in bilateral anterior corona radiata,superior corona radiata,corpus callosum body and genu,left posterior thalamic radiation,left external capsule,bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus,and increased MD values in bilateral anterior corona radiata,superior corona radiata,right posterior corona radiata,corpus callosum body and genu,right posterior thalamic radiation,bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus.The FA values of left superior corona radiata(r=0.302)and left external capsule(r=0.370)were positively correlated with MMSE results,and the FA values of left outer capsule(r=0.328)were positively correlated with MoCA results(all P<0.05).The MD values of corpus callosum body(r=-0.343)and genu(r=-0.378),left superior corona radiata(r=-0.311),right posterior corona radiata(r=-0.376),right posterior thalamic radiation(r=-0.341)and right superior longitudinal fasciculus(r=-0.392)were negatively correlated with MMSE results(all P<0.05).Conclusion In the chemotherapy group,FA and MD values in multiple brain regions are abnormal,and there is a certain correlation between FA and MD values in some brain regions and neurocognitive test results.The changes of FA and MD values in different brain areas may be potential imaging markers of the abnormal white matter microstructure in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy.

Purpose To investigate interhemispheric homotopic functional connectivity in patients with neuropsychological systemic lupus erythematosus(NPSLE)during resting state and its relationship with clinical indicators and neuropsychological scales.Materials and Methods This prospective study enrolled 35 patients with NPSLE and 31 healthy controls(control group)from Taizhou People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University(June 2020 to March 2023).All participants underwent resting state functional MRI and completed neuropsychological assessments including mini-mental state examination,Montreal cognitive assessment,hospital anxiety and depression scale,fatigue scale for motor and cognitive functions,along with laboratory tests(C3,C4,IgA,IgM,IgG).Image preprocessing and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity(VMHC)calculations were performed using DPABI V7.0 on Matlab R2013b.Between-group differences in VMHC values were compared,and correlations between VMHC values in significant regions and neuropsychological/clinical data were analyzed.Results The NPSLE group demonstrated significantly lower mini-mental state examination and Montreal cognitive assessment scores compared with those in control group(t=-6.297,-7.001,both P=0.001).Patients with NPSLE exhibited significantly decreased VMHC values in bilateral parahippocampal gyri,precentral gyri,middle frontal gyri,and medial/paracingulate gyri compared with those in control group(family-wise error corrected,voxel-level P<0.001,cluster-level P<0.05).In the NPSLE group,VMHC values in precentral gyri showed positive correlation with IgA levels(r=0.351,P=0.039),while VMHC values in medial/paracingulate gyri positively correlated with IgA(r=0.345,P=0.043)and negatively with C4(r=-0.368,P=0.030).Conclusion Patients with NPSLE demonstrate abnormal interhemispheric homotopic functional connectivity,and the correlation between imaging metrics and clinical data in differential brain regions may facilitate early diagnosis of NPSLE while providing novel insights into the neuropathological mechanisms of cerebral injury.

Purpose In this study,tract-based spatial statistical analysis was used to analyze the diffusion tensor imaging(DTI)data of breast cancer patients after chemotherapy,to observe the changes of white matter microstructure after chemotherapy and their correlation with neuropsychological cognitive test results,and to provide imaging markers for the evaluation of brain injury after chemotherapy for breast cancer.Materials and Methods A total of 29 patients with breast cancer before chemotherapy treatment and 30 patients with breast cancer after chemotherapy treatment were enrolled in the study from November 2022 to June 2023 in the Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University.Neuropsychological cognitive test[Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA),mini-mental state examination(MMSE)]and whole brain DTI examination were respectively performed in the two groups.Fractional anisotropy(FA)and mean diffusivity(MD)were used to compare the differences between the two groups at the structural level.The correlation between the results of DTI and neuropsychological cognitive test was analyzed.Results Compared with the patients with breast cancer before chemotherapy treatment group,patients with breast cancer after chemotherapy treatment group had decreased FA values in bilateral anterior corona radiata,superior corona radiata,corpus callosum body and genu,left posterior thalamic radiation,left external capsule,bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus,and increased MD values in bilateral anterior corona radiata,superior corona radiata,right posterior corona radiata,corpus callosum body and genu,right posterior thalamic radiation,bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus.The FA values of left superior corona radiata(r=0.302)and left external capsule(r=0.370)were positively correlated with MMSE results,and the FA values of left outer capsule(r=0.328)were positively correlated with MoCA results(all P<0.05).The MD values of corpus callosum body(r=-0.343)and genu(r=-0.378),left superior corona radiata(r=-0.311),right posterior corona radiata(r=-0.376),right posterior thalamic radiation(r=-0.341)and right superior longitudinal fasciculus(r=-0.392)were negatively correlated with MMSE results(all P<0.05).Conclusion In the chemotherapy group,FA and MD values in multiple brain regions are abnormal,and there is a certain correlation between FA and MD values in some brain regions and neurocognitive test results.The changes of FA and MD values in different brain areas may be potential imaging markers of the abnormal white matter microstructure in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy.

Magnesium-doped calcium silicate(CS)bioceramic scaffolds have unique advantages in mandibular defect repair;however,they lack antibacterial properties to cope with the complex oral microbiome.Herein,for the first time,the CS scaffold was functionally modified with a novel copper-containing polydopamine(PDA(Cu2+))rapid deposition method,to construct internally modified(*P),externally modified(@PDA),and dually modified(*P@PDA)scaffolds.The morphology,degradation behavior,and mechanical properties of the obtained scaffolds were evaluated in vitro.The results showed that the CS*P@PDA had a unique micro-/nano-structural surface and appreciable mechanical resistance.During the prolonged immersion stage,the release of copper ions from the CS*P@PDA scaffolds was rapid in the early stage and exhibited long-term sustained release.The in vitro evaluation revealed that the release behavior of copper ions ascribed an excellent antibacterial effect to the CS*P@PDA,while the scaffolds retained good cytocompatibility with improved osteogenesis and angiogenesis effects.Finally,the PDA(Cu2+)-modified scaffolds showed effective early bone regeneration in a critical-size rabbit mandibular defect model.Overall,it was indicated that considerable antibacterial property along with the enhancement of alveolar bone regeneration can be imparted to the scaffold by the two-step PDA(Cu2+)modification,and the convenience and wide applicability of this technique make it a promising strategy to avoid bacterial infections on implants.