Metal-Organic Frameworks Against Tumor Metastasis: Therapeutic Targets, Strategies, and Challenges for Clinical

Jiahui Wang1, Xiuxiu Qiu2, Ruoyu Wang1

  • 1Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Cancer Medicine
|November 24, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) show promise for anti-metastatic cancer therapy due to their unique properties. This review explores MOF applications, challenges, and their potential for clinical translation in combating cancer metastasis.

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Tumor invasion and metastasis are leading causes of cancer mortality.
  • Effective anti-metastatic therapies are crucial for improving patient prognosis.
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) offer unique properties for therapeutic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively review the application of MOFs in anti-metastatic therapy.
  • To establish a theoretical foundation for the clinical translation of MOFs in cancer treatment.
  • To explore MOF-based strategies for combating tumor metastasis.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature analysis of MOF structures and therapeutic profiles.
  • Examination of MOF-based multi-targeted strategies against metastasis.
  • Review of MOF applications in drug delivery, photodynamic therapy, and immune activation.

Main Results:

  • MOFs possess high loading capacity, tunable responsiveness, and modifiable surfaces beneficial for anti-metastatic therapy.
  • MOF-based strategies effectively modulate the tumor microenvironment, target metastatic cells, and enable multimodal synergistic therapies.
  • Successful applications include enhanced drug delivery, photodynamic therapy, and immune activation.

Conclusions:

  • MOFs demonstrate significant potential for developing novel anti-metastatic therapies.
  • Addressing challenges in biosafety and targeting efficiency is key for clinical translation.
  • The structural versatility of MOFs supports their continued development in cancer therapy.

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