Solmaz Maleki, Mohammad Barzegar-Jalali, Mohammad Hossein Zarrintan, Khosro Adibkia*, Farzaneh Lotfipour*
Abstract
Background: Inorganic nanoparticles for biomedical applications have undergone
extensive investigations in recent years. Among different inorganic drug
carriers, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles show unique
advantages due to their ideal biocompatibility and the potential as delivery
system for loading different categories of drugs. The accessibility, low cost,
safety, biocompability, pH-sensitive properties, osteoconductivity and slow biodegradability of CaCO3
particles nominate it to be a suitable drug delivery carrier. Due to
slow degradation of CaCO3 matrices, these nanoparticles can be used as sustained release systems
to retain cargo for longer times after administration. The osteoconductivity and
bioresorbability may offer these nanoparticles as proper candidate for dual
application as bone substitution and drug release in the bone related disease
such as osteomyelitis. Filling bone defects, treatment of
early dental caries lesions and generating neoformed bone tissue using by
different types of nanoparticulate calcium carbonate has also shown notable
applications. According to reviewed literature, CaCO3 nanoparticles because
of their special characteristics show a potential dual application as bone
substitution and drug carrier in the bone related disease/defects.