Current strategies for improving osseointegration of mesoporous silica drug delivery systems: A scoping review protocol.

Abstract

Mesoporous silica (MS) is widely recognized as a local drug delivery system in bone-related diseases. Although MS enables controlled or sustained release and improved bioavailability of therapeutic agents, its limited native osseointegration capacity remains a critical barrier to effective bone regeneration. Numerous engineering strategies have therefore been proposed to enhance its biological performance. This scoping review protocol aims to collect studies, published from January 2015 onwards, that report evidence on the osseointegration potential (i.e., osteoconductive, osteoinductive, or proangiogenic properties) of MS bone drug delivery systems. Studies indexed in PubMed, Scopus, and Embase will be screened to identify the strategies used to improve MS-mediated bone regeneration, including structural modifications, formulation into composites, and incorporation of bioactive molecules. A structured analytical framework will be applied to explore how specific design approaches relate to biological outcomes across experimental models in vitro, in vivo, or ex vivo. The resulting scoping review will identify trends and knowledge gaps in strategies intended to enhance the osseointegration of MS bone drug delivery systems, supporting their future development and rational optimization for bone repair.