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Current and promising applications of Hf(IV)-based MOFs in clinical cancer therapy
Xuelin Chen1,2, Minmin Li2, Mingzi Lin2
1The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, China. sunshine_may1@163.com.
Abstract:
Cancer is one of the greatest challenges in medical science today as it poses a serious threat to human life. In view of this, myriad of therapeutic strategies are being developed for the treatment of cancer. Despite the use of various therapeutic approaches, they are still insufficient for the treatment of cancer. The rapid advancement of nanotechnology currently offers exciting possibilities for the creation of novel cancer therapy approaches. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging multifunctional nanomaterials that find prospective applications in the biomedical field owing to their porosity, large specific surface area, and diversified structures. Amongst varied categories of MOFs, Hf(IV)-based MOFs that have been developed since 2012 and currently have been finding new applications and hence this class of MOFs are gaining immense attention amongst the material and biomaterial chemists. Most importantly, Hf(IV)-MOFs comprising high Z-Hf metal content may be capable of offering new therapeutic options for cancer therapy, nonlinear optics, as fluorescent sensors, and photoresponsive devices. In this review, the progress in Hf(IV)-based MOFs for the treatment of cancer using radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, phototherapeutic techniques, or a combination of two or more of these techniques have been explored. This review also provides insight regarding the current limitations and future prospects of Hf(IV)-MOFs for cancer therapy.
Insights
Hafnium(IV)-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show promise for advanced cancer therapies, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This review explores their potential and future directions in oncology treatment.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Oncology
Background:
- Cancer remains a significant global health challenge, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies.
- Nanotechnology offers novel approaches to cancer treatment, with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) emerging as promising multifunctional nanomaterials.
- Hafnium(IV)-based MOFs (Hf-MOFs), developed since 2012, are gaining attention for their unique properties and potential biomedical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the progress of Hf-MOFs in various cancer therapy modalities.
- To explore the application of Hf-MOFs in radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and phototherapy.
- To discuss the limitations and future prospects of Hf-MOFs for enhanced cancer treatment.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of Hf-MOFs in cancer therapy.
- Analysis of Hf-MOFs' properties relevant to biomedical applications (porosity, surface area, structure).
- Exploration of therapeutic strategies including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and phototherapy.
Main Results:
- Hf-MOFs exhibit potential for cancer treatment due to their high Z-Hf metal content.
- These nanomaterials can be utilized in single or combined therapeutic approaches.
- Hf-MOFs also show promise in nonlinear optics, fluorescent sensing, and photoresponsive devices.
Conclusions:
- Hf-MOFs represent a promising class of nanomaterials for developing next-generation cancer therapies.
- Further research is needed to overcome current limitations and fully realize the therapeutic potential of Hf-MOFs.
- Hf-MOFs offer a versatile platform for multimodal cancer treatment strategies.

