Osteotropic nanoscale drug delivery systems based on small molecule bone-targeting moieties

Abstract Bone-targeted drug delivery is an active research area because successful clinical applications of this technology can significantly advance the treatment of bone injuries and disorders. Molecules with bone-targeting potential have been actively investigated as promising moieties in targeted drug delivery systems. In general, bone-targeting molecules are characterized by their high affinity for bone and their predisposition to persist in bone tissue for prolonged periods, while maintaining low systemic concentrations. Proteins, such as monoclonal antibodies, have shown promise as bone-targeting molecules; however, they suffer from several limitations including large molecular size, high production cost, and undesirable immune responses. A viable alternative associated with significantly less side effects is the use of small molecule-based targeting moieties. This review provides a summary of recent findings regarding small molecule compounds with bone-targeting capacity, as well as nanoscale targeted drug delivery approaches employing these molecules.