Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery Applications
Summary
Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles combine the biocompatibility and bioactivity of calcium phosphate minerals with the advantages of nanoscale platforms to deliver therapeutic agents in a controlled and targeted fashion. Their physicochemical properties—including size, shape, surface charge and porosity—can be tuned to optimise drug loading, release kinetics and interaction with biological milieus. The mineral nature of hydroxyapatite ensures excellent osteoconductivity, making it especially valuable for bone-targeted therapies, while surface modifications enable the attachment of small-molecule drugs, proteins or radionuclides. Porous or rod-shaped particles enhance cargo loading and sustain release over extended periods, reducing systemic toxicity and improving patient compliance. Crucially, the interactions between hydroxyapatite surfaces and plasma proteins, cell membranes and immune components can be modulated to minimise inflammatory responses or even exploit innate pathways for enhanced uptake. Advances in co-doping with therapeutic ions, radiolabelling and composite scaffold integration have broadened applications from oncology to regenerative medicine. Taken together, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles offer a versatile, safe and effective platform for the next generation of drug delivery systems.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Investigations into the influence of particle morphology on immune responses have underlined the importance of nanostructure design for safe drug delivery. Studies demonstrate that needle-shaped and sub-micrometre hydroxyapatite particles strongly activate inflammasome pathways and interleukin-1β secretion, whereas larger or spherical forms provoke minimal cytokine release. This shape-dependent inflammatory profile directly informs the engineering of delivery vehicles: by selecting smooth, spherical nanoparticles or adjusting aspect ratios, it is possible to mitigate adverse innate immune activation while preserving efficient cellular uptake. Such insights establish a foundation for tailoring hydroxyapatite carriers that balance therapeutic efficacy with biocompatibility in vivo.
Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery Applications publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in drug delivery applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles: Nanoscale calcium phosphate particles that mimic the mineral phase of bone and teeth.
Doxorubicin: A chemotherapeutic agent commonly loaded into nanoparticle carriers for sustained cancer treatment.
Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB): A surfactant used to template pore formation and control nanoparticle morphology.
Zeta potential: A measure of surface charge determining colloidal stability and interactions with cells.
Inflammasome: A multiprotein complex that mediates inflammatory cytokine release in response to particulate stimuli.
References
- Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery: Physicochemistry and Applications. Pharmaceutics (2021).
- The shape and size of hydroxyapatite particles dictate inflammatory responses following implantation. Scientific Reports (2017).
- Controlling pore size during the synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles using CTAB by the sol–gel hydrothermal method and their biological activities. Nanotechnology Reviews (2024).
- Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles for Improved Cancer Theranostics. Journal of Functional Biomaterials (2022).
- Advancements in nanohydroxyapatite: synthesis, biomedical applications and composite developments. Regenerative Biomaterials (2024).
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