Peptide Functionalised Nanocarriers for Bone Specific Delivery of PTH (1-34) in Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis represents a major public health burden especially considering the aging population worldwide. Treatment modalities for osteoporosis are classified into two categories based on the effect on bone remodelling: anabolic drugs and antiresorptive drugs. Anabolic drugs are preferred as it stimulates new bone formation. Currently, PTH (1-34) is the only peptide-based drug approved as an anabolic agent for the treatment of osteoporosis by both USFDA as well as EMA. However, its non-specific delivery results in prolonged kidney exposure, causing hypercalcemia. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems functionalized by conjugating it with homing moieties, such as peptides, offer an advantage of targeted delivery with reduced off-target effects. Here, we propose an innovative and targeted nanovesicle approach to efficiently deliver PTH (1-34) to the bone surface using peptides as a homing moiety. The proposed innovative delivery approach will augment the specific interaction between the drug and bone surface without producing side effects. This will reduce the off-target effects of PTH (1-34), and at the same time, it will also improve the outcome of anabolic therapy. Therefore, we postulate that the proposed innovative drug delivery approach for PTH (1-34) will establish as a promising therapy for osteoporotic patients, specifically in postmenopausal women who are at greater risk of bone fracture.