Advances in nanozymes with peroxidase-like activity for biosensing and disease therapy applications

Natural enzymes are crucial in biological systems and widely used in biomedicine, but their disadvantages, such as insufficient stability and high cost, have limited their widespread application. Since discovering the enzyme-like activity of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, extensive research progress in diverse nanozymes has been made with their in-depth investigation, resulting in rapid development of related nanotechnologies. Nanozymes can compensate for the defects of natural enzymes and show higher stability with lower costs. Among them, peroxidase (POD)-like nanozymes have attracted extensive attention in biomedical applications owing to their efficient catalytic performance and diverse structures. This review explores different types of nanozymes with POD-like activity and discusses their activity regulation, particularly emphasizing their latest development trends and advances in biosensing and disease treatment. Finally, the challenges and prospects for the development of POD-like nanozymes and their potential future applications in the biomedical field are also provided.