Vic M Hempstead

All Publications

• Engineering Nanoscale Drug Delivery Systems for Pain WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY Pollard, R. E., Moreno, A. S., Hempstead, V. M., Hegron, A. D., Lewis, P. K., Bahrami, K., Sokrat, B., Schmidt, B. L., Bunnett, N. W., Jensen, D. D., Pinkerton, N. M. 2026; 18 (4): e70072

  Abstract

  Pain is a pervasive and multifaceted condition that imposes a significant medical and economic burden worldwide. This burden is underscored by the urgent need for transformative, non-addictive opioid alternatives. Nanomedicine offers a promising avenue for addressing the many limitations associated with conventional pain treatments, such as off-target effects, poor bioavailability, and rapid clearance, while enabling advanced therapeutic approaches such as precise spatiotemporal control and robust delivery of biologics. In this review, we explore the convergence of nanomedicine and pain management. We examine current literature on pain and chronic pain physiology and provide collated pharmacological data on current therapeutic approaches as a reference for formulation development. Recent advancements in lipid-based, polymeric, and inorganic nanoscale drug delivery systems (NDDS) for pain are surveyed, along with their progress toward clinical translation. Strategies for enhancing the efficacy of NDDS for pain are discussed, including supramolecular depot localization methods, active and passive targeting, controlled release kinetics, and the incorporation of stimuli-responsive elements for triggered release. We identify knowledge and technical gaps limiting progression beyond sustained-release formulations toward designs exploiting pain-specific biology. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in nanomedicine-based approaches for pain management and provides a roadmap for future innovations.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/wnan.70072

  View details for Web of Science ID 001842158600001

  View details for PubMedID 42563384

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC13447900