Novel formulations of metal-organic frameworks for controlled drug delivery

Introduction: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are one of the typical coordination polymers which constructed by metal ions/clusters and multitopic organic ligands. Compared with traditional porous materials, MOFs have the advantages of significant porosity, large specific surface area, adjustable chemical composition, and structure tailorability, these unique features make them a promising candidate for controlled drug delivery.

Areas covered: This review aims to summarize recent advances in the development of MOFs for drug delivery, in particular, focusing on its ability to deliver various drugs and their release mechanism, as well as the in vivo and in vitro biological evaluation. Moreover, the future research directions of MOFs for clinical treatment are also outlined.

Expert opinion: Although large numbers of MOFs have been developed as nanocarriers for drug delivery, further improvements are still needed to advance the application of MOFs in the clinic. For example, the circulation mechanism and degradation process of MOFs in vivo, the efficiency and pharmacokinetics of drugs in vivo, and the biological evaluation of MOFs in the controlled release of drugs. The present review work main focus on the recent progress of MOFs as effective nanocarriers for drug delivery and to examine some challenges and directions for its further clinical applications.