MOF-based nanozymes: Rational design and biomedical applications

Nanozymes are nanomaterials with enzyme-mimicking catalytic activities that have extraordinary potential in biotechnology. Metal‒organic frameworks (MOFs), emerging nanoporous materials with atomically defined active sites and ordered porous architectures, have been established as an important subclass of nanozymes. In this review, we systematically summarize the recent advances in MOF-based nanozymes. We first comprehensively describe the diverse bioinspired nanozyme activities of pristine MOFs and subsequently provide a critical overview of activity regulation strategies and rational design principles for constructing high-performance nanozyme platforms. These MOF-based nanozymes feature well-defined active sites that effectively mimic the catalytic microenvironments of natural enzymes, displaying exceptional catalytic activity and substrate selectivity. Leveraging the superior catalytic performance and inherent advantages of MOFs, MOF-based nanozymes with microenvironmental responsiveness exhibit promising prospects in various disease therapies and multimodal synergistic treatments. We highlight their potential therapeutic applications in cancer, inflammatory diseases, and infection treatment. The challenges and prospects of MOF-based nanozymes are also presented.