Antioxidant nanoparticles on osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review

Nanoparticle (NP)-based therapies, including hydrogel, polymeric, and inorganic forms (carbon, metal, and metal oxide NPs/frameworks), have attracted significant interest for biomedical applications due to their antioxidant and enzyme-mimetic activities. This systematic review aims to identify different antioxidant NPs used in preclinical models of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) and summarize their biosafety, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, and antioxidant effects. Studies published up to December 2024 were systematically searched across PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, the WHO International Clinical Trials Platform, and Embase. The study quality was assessed using SYRCLE’s risk of bias tool for animal studies and custom quality assessment criteria for in vitro studies. Altogether, 516 studies were retrieved, and 26 met the inclusion criteria and were incorporated into the review. Studies showed that selenium, silver, and gold are frequently used NPs for RA, while cerium, iron, and manganese oxide NPs are commonly employed for OA. Generally, NPs demonstrate the potential to increase antioxidant activity and reduce inflammation and the structural degeneration of joints without evident short-term systemic toxicity in both conditions. In summary, pre-clinical evidence suggests that NP-based therapies might offer a promising approach to managing arthritis by targeting oxidative stress and inflammation. However, their long-term safety requires further evaluation.