Calcium carbonate nanoparticles; potential applications in bone and tooth disorders

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.