Advancing Drug Delivery through Metal-Organic Frameworks

Northwest Normal University, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 967 East Anning Road, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu Province, China

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising platforms for drug delivery owing to their high porosity, tunable structures, and multifunctional design. Built from metal nodes and organic linkers, MOFs offer exceptionally high drug loading capacities and controllable release behaviours that outperform many conventional nanocarriers. Their modular nature enables precise adjustment of pore size, surface chemistry, and degradation properties, allowing improved drug stability, reduced premature release, and enhanced therapeutic efficacy. This review summarizes recent advances in MOF-based drug delivery systems, focusing on framework design, drug loading strategies, and surface engineering approaches that improve biocompatibility and targeting. Fundamental hostguest interactions and release mechanisms, including diffusion-controlled and stimuli-responsive pathways triggered by pH, redox conditions, or external stimuli, are discussed. Additionally, the ability of MOFs to deliver a diverse range of therapeutic agents, including small-molecule drugs, biomacromolecules, and gasotransmitters, is highlighted. Finally, key challenges related to in vivo stability, biodegradation, scalable manufacturing, and regulatory translation are outlined, together with perspectives on the future development of MOF-based nanomedicines.