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@article{194468,
        author = {Anushka Singh and Ashrita Srivalli Padmasolala and Prakash P and V Ramesh Kumar},
        title = {Current status on drug delivery for bone tissue engineering},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {10},
        pages = {3696-3715},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=194468},
        abstract = {Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is focused on developing biological substitutes to repair critical bone defects that cannot heal on their own. An emerging strategy in BTE is to incorporate drug delivery systems into scaffolds to enhance regeneration. This review summarizes current approaches for delivering osteogenic signals (drugs, growth factors, genes) in BTE, highlighting their status, challenges, and future directions. Conventional systemic therapies (e.g. oral or injectable drugs) often suffer from poor bone targeting and side effects, motivating localized delivery strategies. Local controlled-release systems (scaffolds, nanoparticles, hydrogels) can provide sustained, site-specific delivery of bioactive molecules to promote bone healing while minimizing off-target effects. We discuss scaffold-based drug delivery with natural polymers (collagen, chitosan, etc.), synthetic polymers (PLGA, PCL), and inorganic materials (hydroxyapatite, bioactive glass), as well as nanocarriers (polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, metallic nanoparticles) and stimulus-responsive hydrogels. Advanced approaches like growth factor gene delivery (using viral and non-viral vectors) and “smart” systems responsive to physiological cues are examined. Preclinical and clinical studies demonstrate that combining drug delivery with engineered scaffolds can significantly improve bone regeneration in challenging defects, though translational hurdles remain. Ongoing innovations including personalized 3D-printed scaffolds, multi-factor delivery, and AI-guided design – are poised to address current limitations. This integration of drug delivery and tissue engineering offers a powerful paradigm for bone regenerative therapy.},
        keywords = {},
        month = {March},
        }