Drug discovery todayDec 30, 2022

Nanoparticle drug delivery injected into joints to treat osteoarthritis

Updated Mar 30, 2026

Abstract

Nanodrug delivery systems may improve intra-articular drug delivery for osteoarthritis treatment.

Osteoarthritis is marked by progressive cartilage degeneration.
Intra-articular drug delivery faces challenges such as rapid clearance and uneven distribution of diseased cells.
Nanodrug delivery systems, including liposomes, micelles, and nanoparticles, show potential to enhance drug residence time and distribution.
These systems may facilitate targeted delivery to diseased chondrocytes in the cartilage.

Simplified

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by progressive cartilage degeneration. Pharmaceutical intervention remains a main treatment approach. However, drug delivery via intra-articular administration (IA) can be restricted by rapid clearance, the dense and highly negatively charged extracellular matrix (ECM) of cartilage, and uneven distribution of diseased chondrocytes. Nanodrug delivery systems, such as liposomes, micelles, and nanoparticles (NPs), have shown great potential to prolong intra-articular residence, penetrate the ECM, and achieve diseased chondrocyte-specific delivery. In this review, we discuss the challenges associated with intra-articular drug delivery in OA and the nanodrug delivery strategies developed to overcome these challenges. It is anticipated that these nanodrug delivery strategies will advance IA of drugs into broader applications in OA treatment.

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