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Recent advances in natural product-based drug delivery systems for the treatment of osteoarthritis

Xiaoguang Xu1, Yuhang Deng1, Yong Zheng1

  • 1Department of Orthopedics, Chengdu Shuangliu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.

Journal of Materials Chemistry. B
|September 16, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Natural products show promise for treating osteoarthritis (OA) by targeting multiple factors. Drug delivery systems enhance their effectiveness, overcoming limitations like poor bioavailability for better OA therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Natural product research
  • Pharmacology
  • Biomedical engineering

Background:

  • Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease in aging populations with no specific cure.
  • OA pathogenesis involves oxidative stress, inflammation, cartilage dysfunction, and subchondral bone changes.
  • Natural products offer multi-targeting and low-toxicity benefits for OA treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms of natural products in OA treatment.
  • To explore the role of drug delivery systems in enhancing natural product efficacy for OA.
  • To provide insights for future research and clinical application of natural products in OA therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of natural products and their mechanisms in OA.
  • Analysis of drug delivery systems applied to natural products for OA.
  • Discussion of challenges and solutions for natural product-based OA therapy.

Main Results:

  • Natural products exhibit therapeutic potential against OA through diverse mechanisms.
  • Drug delivery systems significantly improve bioavailability, joint targeting, and therapeutic outcomes of natural products.
  • Overcoming limitations like rapid clearance and poor targeting is crucial for clinical success.

Conclusions:

  • Natural products, when combined with advanced drug delivery systems, represent a promising strategy for osteoarthritis management.
  • Further research into optimizing these systems can unlock the full therapeutic potential of natural compounds for OA.
  • This review highlights the synergistic approach of natural products and drug delivery for effective OA treatment.

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