Bone marrow is an important hematopoietic and immune organ. It contains hematopoiesis stem cells

mesenchymal stem cells

stromal cells

which provide a specific microenvironment with various growth factors and chemotactic factors. However

it causes the primary obstacle of successful eradication of bone marrow-associated diseases. Under the pathological condition

the bone marrow microenvironment supports the metastasis and growth of malignant cells. In addition

the delivery of therapeutic drugs has been hampered by its unique anatomical structure and bone marrow blood barrier. With the progress on the study on the bone marrow microenvironment and the mechanism of the particle uptake from the blood circulation

macrophage and E-selectin receptor on endothelial cells have been discovered as targets for improving the bone marrow-targeting ability of drugs used for therapy. Combined with nanoparticles technology

passive or active bone marrow-targeting ability of drugs are further improving by controlling the size or modifying the surface of nanoparticles. Herein

the physiological structure and biologic functions of bone marrow are analyzed

and the bone marrow targeting nanoparticles including liposomes and polymer micelles are summarized

which provides the favorable methods for the diagnosis and therapy of bone marrow-related diseases.