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Biomedicines
Special Issues
New Insights in Reproductive Health and Disease
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New Insights in Reproductive Health and Disease

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular and Translational Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 5716

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Chi Chiu Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
Interests: reproductive medicine (endometriosis, miscarriage, implantation failure, polycystic ovary syndrome); developmental biology (redox control, gene dosage); maternal medicine (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus); fetal medicine (fetal hypoxia, preterm, fetal growth restriction)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Reproductive health is fundamental to human well-being, yet challenges such as infertility, pregnancy loss, and ovarian dysfunction affect millions globally. The intricate interplay of endocrine, immune, and molecular pathways in reproduction demands innovative approaches. Recent breakthroughs in AI, stem cell biology, gene therapy, and nanotechnology have revolutionized our ability to decode reproductive mechanisms and develop targeted interventions. For instance, AI-powered embryo assessment tools and collagen-based therapies for maternal–fetal interface regulation have shown promise in improving pregnancy outcomes.

This Special Issue seeks to consolidate research that bridges technological innovation with clinical needs in reproductive health. Topics will include, but are not limited to:

  1. AI and machine learning in reproductive medicine (e.g., embryo development, IVF outcome prediction, miscarriage risk assessment);
  2. Stem cell, gene, and regenerative therapies for ovarian dysfunction and fertility preservation;
  3. Molecular mechanisms of meiosis, implantation, and maternal–fetal immune tolerance;
  4. Nanomedicine and biomaterials for targeted drug delivery in reproductive disorders;
  5. Translational studies on collagen biology in pregnancy complications.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and short communications addressing:

  1. AI-driven diagnostics and personalized treatment in fertility clinics;
  2. iPSC-derived ovarian cell regeneration and follicle activation;
  3. DNA double-strand break repair in meiosis and its relevance to infertility;
  4. Role of collagen in decidual immune microenvironment and follicular development;
  5. Nanocarrier-based therapies for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI).

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Chi Chiu Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • reproductive health
  • artificial intelligence
  • fertility preservation
  • stem cells
  • gene therapy
  • materials
  • meiosis
  • DNA double-strand break
  • ovarian dysfunction
  • nanomedicine
  • pregnancy complications

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review, Other

15 pages, 280 KB  
Article
Albumin-Based Inflammatory–Nutritional Indices as Novel Biomarkers for Severity Stratification and Re-Hospitalization Risk in Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Retrospective Case–Control Study
by Gülay Balkaş, Sümeyye Ünsal, Okan Oktar, Mustafa Can Akdogan, Murat Gözüküçük and Yusuf Üstün
Biomedicines 2026, 14(1), 197; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14010197 - 16 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 862
Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic performance of albumin-based inflammatory–nutritional indices in hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) and to determine their associations with disease severity and risk of re-hospitalization. Methods: This retrospective case–control study included 246 [...] Read more.
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic performance of albumin-based inflammatory–nutritional indices in hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) and to determine their associations with disease severity and risk of re-hospitalization. Methods: This retrospective case–control study included 246 women with HG and 246 gestational-age-matched healthy pregnant controls at 6–16 weeks of gestation. Disease severity was classified as mild, moderate, or severe using the Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis (24 h scale) (PUQE-24) score. A comprehensive panel of albumin-based inflammatory indices—including C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR), fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR), neutrophil-to-albumin ratio (NAR), leukocyte-to-albumin ratio (LAR), neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR), monocyte-to-albumin ratio (MAR), hemoglobin–albumin–lymphocyte–platelet (HALP) score, modified HALP (m-HALP) score, prognostic nutritional index (PNI) score, systemic immune-inflammation index-to-albumin (SII/Alb), and systemic inflammatory response index-to-albumin (SIRI/Alb)—was calculated from routine complete blood count and serum biochemistry results obtained at diagnosis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis, along with univariate and multivariate logistic regression models, was performed to evaluate diagnostic performance and identify predictors of severe HG and re-hospitalization. Results: Albumin-based indices exhibited severity-associated alterations, with an overall trend toward worsening immuno-nutritional status across increasing HG severity. Among these, m-HALP score demonstrated the strongest inverse correlations with PUQE-24 score, ketonuria grade, length of hospital stay, and re-hospitalization risk (r = −0.74 to −0.52; all p < 0.001) and achieved the highest discriminative accuracy for both severe HG (AUC 0.864, 95% CI 0.836–0.892, p < 0.001) and re-hospitalization (AUC 0.722, 95% CI 0.675–0.766, p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, higher HALP, m-HALP, and PNI were independently associated with a lower likelihood of severe HG. For re-hospitalization, higher m-HALP and HALP were independently associated with a lower risk, whereas higher NPAR, higher ketonuria grade, and higher PUQE-24 score were independently associated with an increased risk of re-hospitalization. Conclusions: Albumin-based indices, particularly m-HALP, demonstrated robust diagnostic and prognostic performance in HG compared with conventional biomarkers. These readily available, cost-neutral composite biomarkers enable objective severity stratification and accurate identification of patients at elevated risk of recurrent hospitalization, offering immediate potential to guide personalized, evidence-based clinical management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights in Reproductive Health and Disease)

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

19 pages, 2288 KB  
Review
Lipedema in Women and Its Interrelationship with Endometriosis and Other Gynecologic Diseases: A Scoping Review
by Diogo Pinto da Costa Viana, Adriana Luckow Invitti and Eduardo Schor
Biomedicines 2026, 14(1), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14010122 - 7 Jan 2026
Viewed by 2589
Abstract
Background: Emerging evidence suggests that lipedema may share hormonal, inflammatory, and genetic mechanisms with gynecologic diseases, particularly endometriosis. However, the extent and nature of these interrelationships remain poorly characterized, supporting the need for this scoping review. Objectives: To map and synthesize [...] Read more.
Background: Emerging evidence suggests that lipedema may share hormonal, inflammatory, and genetic mechanisms with gynecologic diseases, particularly endometriosis. However, the extent and nature of these interrelationships remain poorly characterized, supporting the need for this scoping review. Objectives: To map and synthesize the available evidence on the clinical, pathophysiological, and epidemiological interrelationships between lipedema in women, endometriosis, and other gynecologic diseases. Methods: Searches were conducted in international and regional health databases, including MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, LILACS/VHL, APA PsycInfo, SciELO, Epistemonikos, and La Referencia, as well as grey literature sources and relevant institutional websites. There were no language restrictions. The search period began in 1940, the year in which lipedema was first described by Allen and Hines. Study selection followed a two-stage process conducted independently by two reviewers, consisting of title and abstract screening followed by full-text review. Data extraction was performed using a pre-developed and peer-reviewed instrument covering participants, concept, context, study methods, and main findings. The review protocol was registered in the Open Science Framework. Results: Twenty-five studies from ten countries were included. Synthesized evidence supports the characterization of lipedema as a systemic condition with metabolic and hormonal dimensions. Key findings include symptom onset linked to reproductive milestones, a high frequency of gynecologic and endocrine comorbidities, and molecular features overlapping with steroid-dependent pathologies. These patterns reflect a recent shift from a predominantly lymphovascular paradigm toward a more integrated endocrinometabolic framework. Conclusions: The findings indicate that lipedema clusters with hormone-sensitive gynecologic and endocrine features across reproductive life stages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights in Reproductive Health and Disease)
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Other

Jump to: Research, Review

18 pages, 3123 KB  
Systematic Review
Uterine Contractility Changes in Adenomyosis: Evidence from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Angela Vidal, Paula Tepasse, Vithusha Vinayahalingam, Sophie Cottagnoud, Marietta Gulz, Tanya Karrer, Gürkan Yilmaz, Janna Pape and Michael von Wolff
Biomedicines 2025, 13(11), 2728; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13112728 - 6 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1506
Abstract
Background: The presence of ectopic endometrial glands within the uterine myometrium in patients with adenomyosis has been associated with adverse fertility outcomes. UP (Uterine Peristalsis), a movement of contractions at the junctional zone of the non-pregnant uterus, can be impacted by an [...] Read more.
Background: The presence of ectopic endometrial glands within the uterine myometrium in patients with adenomyosis has been associated with adverse fertility outcomes. UP (Uterine Peristalsis), a movement of contractions at the junctional zone of the non-pregnant uterus, can be impacted by an altered architecture of uterine layers. Abnormal contractility patterns could impact both uterotubal sperm transport as well as embryo implantation. Because of this potential influence on clinical symptoms and reproduction in patients with adenomyosis, studies have been analyzing the feasibility of diagnostic techniques in assessing uterine peristalsis. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to detect an alteration in patterns of UP in patients with adenomyosis. Methods: A systematic literature search of Medline, Embase, Cochrane, CENTRAL databases and Google Scholar was conducted up to June 2025, including studies evaluating UP and adenomyosis. Clinical studies evaluating uterine contractility were included, excluding those potentially affected by therapeutic interventions. The meta-analysis pooled data from studies to compare uterine contractility direction between patients with adenomyosis and control groups. Results: In seven included studies (442 women), uterine contractility varied significantly in association with menstrual cycle phases and pathological conditions. The meta-analysis revealed two statistically significant findings: women with adenomyosis showed significantly reduced uterine contraction frequency (SMD −1.81, 95% CI: −3.04 to −0.58, p = 0.0039) and fewer antegrade contractions (OR 0.35, 95% CI: 0.13–0.96, p = 0.0423) compared to controls. Other contractility patterns showed non-significant trends with substantial heterogeneity. Conclusions: Our findings show a significant difference in uterine contraction patterns in patients with adenomyosis compared to controls, namely a decrease in frequency and an increased number of retrograde uterine contractions in the adenomyosis group. The remarkable heterogeneity of the results highlighted the need for larger study cohorts in the future, especially to address the main diagnostic possibilities and treatments in order to improve reproductive outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights in Reproductive Health and Disease)
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