npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-04-25DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00072-0
Roma Dhingra, Kosuke Tamura, Jinani Jayasekera, Amina P Alio, Allana T Forde
{"title":"A systematic review of the relationship between neighborhood stressors, discrimination, and cardiometabolic outcomes during pregnancy.","authors":"Roma Dhingra, Kosuke Tamura, Jinani Jayasekera, Amina P Alio, Allana T Forde","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00072-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-025-00072-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cardiometabolic outcomes during pregnancy, including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and gestational diabetes, disproportionately affect racial and/or ethnic minority groups in the United States. These disparities are not fully explained by traditional risk factors, but race-related psychosocial stressors such as perceived neighborhood stressors and discrimination (PNSD) may contribute to adverse health outcomes. This systematic review examined the literature on the impact of PNSD on HDP and gestational diabetes. A comprehensive search of PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL identified 10 eligible studies: seven cohort and three cross-sectional studies. Five studies reported significant associations between PNSD and increased risk for cardiometabolic outcomes during pregnancy (HDP-1 study, gestational diabetes-3 studies, both hypertension and diabetes during pregnancy-1 study). The included studies demonstrated good methodological quality. These findings suggest that PNSD may be associated with cardiometabolic outcomes during pregnancy, but further research is needed, particularly on perceived neighborhood stressors.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"25"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12031668/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144049852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-01-29DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00054-2
Ola Gutzeit, Aakanksha Gulati, Zohreh Izadifar, Anna Stejskalova, Hassan Rhbiny, Justin Cotton, Bogdan Budnik, Sanjid Shahriar, Girija Goyal, Abidemi Junaid, Donald E Ingber
{"title":"Cervical mucus in linked human Cervix and Vagina Chips modulates vaginal dysbiosis.","authors":"Ola Gutzeit, Aakanksha Gulati, Zohreh Izadifar, Anna Stejskalova, Hassan Rhbiny, Justin Cotton, Bogdan Budnik, Sanjid Shahriar, Girija Goyal, Abidemi Junaid, Donald E Ingber","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00054-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00054-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study explores the protective role of cervicovaginal mucus in maintaining vaginal health, particularly in relation to bacterial vaginosis (BV), using organ chip technology. By integrating human Cervix and Vagina Chips, we demonstrated that cervical mucus significantly reduces inflammation and epithelial damage caused by a dysbiotic microbiome commonly associated with BV. Proteomic analysis of the Vagina Chip, following exposure to mucus from the Cervix Chip, revealed differentially abundant proteins, suggesting potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for BV management. Our findings highlight the essential function of cervical mucus in preserving vaginal health and underscore the value of organ chip models for studying complex interactions within the female reproductive tract. This research provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying vaginal dysbiosis and opens avenues for developing targeted therapies and diagnostic tools to enhance women's reproductive health.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11779628/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143083092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-02-25DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00063-1
Aysegul Atasoy-Zeybek, Kelly K Showel, Christopher V Nagelli, Jennifer J Westendorf, Christopher H Evans
{"title":"The intersection of aging and estrogen in osteoarthritis.","authors":"Aysegul Atasoy-Zeybek, Kelly K Showel, Christopher V Nagelli, Jennifer J Westendorf, Christopher H Evans","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00063-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00063-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease characterized by cartilage degradation, inflammation, and pain. While multiple factors contribute to OA development, age and sex are primary risk factors, particularly affecting postmenopausal women. The dramatic increase in OA risk after menopause suggests estrogen deficiency accelerates disease progression. This review explores the molecular mechanisms connecting aging and estrogen deficiency in OA development, focusing on key genes and pathways identified through RNA sequencing.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11860234/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143525987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-24DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00113-8
Tigest Tamrat, Rohit Malpani, Sara Mengistu, Anja Kovacs, Yu Zhao, Anuj Kapilashrami, Allan Maleche, Sameer Pujari, Andreas Reis, Lale Say
{"title":"Beyond no harm: Advancing research on artificial intelligence for sexual and reproductive health and rights.","authors":"Tigest Tamrat, Rohit Malpani, Sara Mengistu, Anja Kovacs, Yu Zhao, Anuj Kapilashrami, Allan Maleche, Sameer Pujari, Andreas Reis, Lale Say","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00113-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00113-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being explored to enhance access to health information and services. To guide the responsible use of AI in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and beyond, high-quality, ethical research is essential. Drawing on a comprehensive scoping review on AI in SRHR, we present illustrative examples from published literature to underscore the need for meaningful research on the use of AI to advance SRHR.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"65"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12643930/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145644410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-07-25DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00093-9
Animesh Kumar Paul, Sunil Vasu Kalmady, Russell Greiner, Padma Kaul
{"title":"Developing point-of-care tools to inform decisions regarding prescription medication use in pregnancy.","authors":"Animesh Kumar Paul, Sunil Vasu Kalmady, Russell Greiner, Padma Kaul","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00093-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00093-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pregnant women are often excluded from randomized clinical trials due to safety concerns, yet the increasing prevalence of pre-existing conditions and pregnancy complications necessitates medication use. Observational cohort data can provide valuable insights to support clinical decision-making. We developed a web-based tool that presents population-level data on medication use and preterm birth risk. By integrating real-world evidence, this tool helps clinicians assess medication-related outcomes and improve maternal and neonatal health.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"43"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12296555/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144736473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-05-15DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00077-9
Philip Bediako-Kakari, Mariella Monyo, Shakir Atoyebi, Adeniyi Olagunju
{"title":"Comparative modelling of foetal exposure to maternal long-acting injectable versus oral daily antipsychotics.","authors":"Philip Bediako-Kakari, Mariella Monyo, Shakir Atoyebi, Adeniyi Olagunju","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00077-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00077-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study employed physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling to compare the extent of foetal exposure between oral and long-acting injectable (LAI) aripiprazole and olanzapine. Adult and pregnancy PBPK models were developed and validated with relevant clinical data. Relevant indices of foetal exposure during pregnancy were predicted from concentration-time data at steady-state dosing for both oral and LAI formulations. Foetal C<sub>max</sub> for aripiprazole was 59-78% higher with LAI than oral, and 68-181% higher with LAI olanzapine than the oral formulation. Predicted cord:maternal ratios (range) were 0.59-0.69 for oral aripiprazole and 0.61-0.66 for LAI aripiprazole, 0.34-0.64 for oral olanzapine and 0.89-0.96 for LAI olanzapine. Also, cumulative foetal exposure over 28 days from oral formulations were generally predicted to be lower compared with their therapeutic-equivalent LAI. As <i>in utero</i> foetal exposure to maternal drugs does not necessarily translate to risk, these data should be interpreted in a broader context that includes benefit-risk assessments.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"31"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12081286/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144096783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00104-9
Leonore Vander Donck, Thies Gehrmann, Sarah Ahannach, Sarah Van den Bosch, Margo Hiel, Lize Delanghe, Camille Nina Allonsius, Eline Cauwenberghs, Irina Spacova, Eline Oerlemans, Stijn Wittouck, Ilke De Boeck, Gilbert Donders, Veronique Verhoeven, Sarah Lebeer
{"title":"The female intimate microbiome space.","authors":"Leonore Vander Donck, Thies Gehrmann, Sarah Ahannach, Sarah Van den Bosch, Margo Hiel, Lize Delanghe, Camille Nina Allonsius, Eline Cauwenberghs, Irina Spacova, Eline Oerlemans, Stijn Wittouck, Ilke De Boeck, Gilbert Donders, Veronique Verhoeven, Sarah Lebeer","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00104-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00104-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite its importance in health, the female intimate skin microbiome remains understudied. In this Isala study we explored microbial dispersal across intimate body sites, including the vagina, groins, breast and mouth. Microbial similarity correlated with physical proximity, suggesting dispersal influenced by hygiene or sexual activity. Notably, lactobacilli were unexpectedly abundant on breast skin. These findings highlight the need for research into microbiome dynamics and their implications for women's health.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"55"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12488475/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145234800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00117-4
Simon Hanassab, Joshua Southern, Ayomide V Olabode, Ivan Laponogov, Michael Bronstein, Alexander N Comninos, Thomas Heinis, Ali Abbara, Chioma Izzi-Engbeaya, Kirill Veselkov, Waljit S Dhillo
{"title":"Identifying nutraceutical targets to treat polycystic ovary syndrome using graph representation learning.","authors":"Simon Hanassab, Joshua Southern, Ayomide V Olabode, Ivan Laponogov, Michael Bronstein, Alexander N Comninos, Thomas Heinis, Ali Abbara, Chioma Izzi-Engbeaya, Kirill Veselkov, Waljit S Dhillo","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00117-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00117-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex, multifactorial, and polygenic disorder. Here, we employed machine learning (ML) techniques to analyze large open-source datasets to identify bioactive molecules in foods and pharmacological agents that interact with genes and biological functions central to PCOS pathophysiology. We selected 13 PCOS-associated genes as targets, and the network propagation algorithm systematically identified bioactive molecules that interact with pathways relevant to PCOS. Among the top-ranked molecules, epicatechin-3-gallate (found in green tea) and 24-methylenecycloartan-3-ol (found in almonds) were newly identified, with green tea and almonds previously demonstrated to have anti-androgenic and anti-inflammatory properties. Validation of the ML pipeline with clinically available drugs revealed significant interactions with gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor modulators, consistent with their established role in PCOS pathophysiology. These findings identify novel therapeutic targets for further research in precision nutrition and drug repurposing for PCOS treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"68"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12669042/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145673328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-06-12DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00079-7
F Boscolo Sesillo, H Manoochehri, P Duran, E Zelus, K L Christman, M Alperin
{"title":"Effect of lactation on postpartum pelvic floor muscle regeneration in preclinical model.","authors":"F Boscolo Sesillo, H Manoochehri, P Duran, E Zelus, K L Christman, M Alperin","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00079-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00079-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) recovery following childbirth is essential for preserving pelvic floor function. Despite this, the impact of parturition and lactation on pelvic muscle stem cells (MuSCs), indispensable for skeletal muscle maintenance and regeneration, remains unknown. We determined that vaginal delivery does not cause mechanical injury of the rat PFMs, enabling us to uncouple the effects of lactation on muscle homeostasis from PFM regeneration following simulated birth injury (SBI). Tibialis anterior (TA) served as non-pelvic control. This novel study demonstrates that in the absence of birth injury, lactation blocks MuSC proliferation in PFM and TA, suggesting that postpartum systemic milieu affects MuSCs in pelvic and non-pelvic muscles. In contrast, SBI negated the inhibitory effect of lactation on MuSCs in PFM but not in TA, indicating that local signals released by the injured muscle overcome systemic inhibitory effects of lactation, which persist in muscles remote from the site of injury.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"33"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12162343/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144304238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj women's healthPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-02-28DOI: 10.1038/s44294-025-00064-0
Karen Rowland Yeo, Jacqueline Gerhart, Aarti Sawant-Basak, Francis Williams Ojara, Aida N Kawuma, Catriona Waitt
{"title":"Clinical lactation studies. Acting on key recommendations over the last decade.","authors":"Karen Rowland Yeo, Jacqueline Gerhart, Aarti Sawant-Basak, Francis Williams Ojara, Aida N Kawuma, Catriona Waitt","doi":"10.1038/s44294-025-00064-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44294-025-00064-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Including lactating women in clinical trials is imperative to generate relevant drug exposure and safety data needed to advise on clinical use of drugs in this understudied population. Recent changes in perspectives, regulatory guidance, and international networks which outline pragmatic approaches for advancing the conduct of clinical lactation studies are discussed. Case studies demonstrating successful application of modeling and simulation to complement clinical lactation data for enhanced knowledge of infant drug exposure are presented.</p>","PeriodicalId":520241,"journal":{"name":"npj women's health","volume":"3 1","pages":"19"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11870844/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143545830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}