Metal-Organic Frameworks: Versatile Platforms for Biomedical Innovations

From Nanozymes to Multi-Purpose Nanomaterials: The Potential of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Proteomics Applications

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have the potential to revolutionize the biotechnological and medical landscapes due to their easily tunable crystalline porous structure. Herein, the study presents MOFs' potential impact on proteomics, unveiling the diverse roles MOFs can play to boost it. Although MOFs are excellent catalysts in other scientific disciplines, their role as catalysts in proteomics applications remains largely underexplored, despite protein cleavage being of crucial importance in proteomics protocols. Additionally, the study discusses evolving MOF materials that are tailored for proteomics, showcasing their structural diversity and functional advantages compared to other types of materials used for similar applications. MOFs can be developed to seamlessly integrate into proteomics workflows due to their tunable features, contributing to protein separation, peptide enrichment, and ionization for mass spectrometry. This review is meant as a guide to help bridge the gap between material scientists, engineers, and MOF chemists and on the other side researchers in biology or bioinformatics working in proteomics.

Efficacy of a Zn-based metalorganic framework doped with benznidazole on acute experimental Trypanosoma cruzi infection

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have been shown to enhance the activity of encapsulated compounds by facilitating their passage across cell membranes, thereby enabling controlled and selective release. This study investigates the efficacy of BNZ@Zn-MOFs against the acute phase of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in a mouse model. The particles were synthesized by electroelution (EL), doped with BZN via mechanochemistry, and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). BNZ@Zn-MOFs released 80% of the encapsulated BZN within 3 h, demonstrating no cytotoxicity in NIH-3T3 and HeLa cells. Furthermore, in a model of acute experimental T. cruzi-infection in BALB/c mice, the delivery system exhibited antiparasitic activity at a significantly lower BZN concentration compared to free BZN treatment. PCR analysis of treated mice revealed no parasite DNA in their tissues, and hematoxylin-eosin staining showed no apparent damage to tissue architecture. Additionally, serum levels of liver function enzymes remained unchanged, indicating no adverse effects on liver function. This delivery system, utilizing suboptimal BZN doses, enables the preservation of drug activity while potentially facilitating a substantial decrease in side effects associated with Chagas disease treatment.

MOFs and MOF-Based Composites as Next-Generation Materials for Wound Healing and Dressings

In recent years, there has been growing interest in developing innovative materials and therapeutic strategies to enhance wound healing outcomes, especially for chronic wounds and antimicrobial resistance. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) represent a promising class of materials for next-generation wound healing and dressings. Their high surface area, pore structures, stimuli-responsiveness, antibacterial properties, biocompatibility, and potential for combination therapies make them suitable for complex wound care challenges. MOF-based composites promote cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and matrix synthesis, acting as carriers for bioactive molecules and promoting tissue regeneration. They also have stimuli-responsivity, enabling photothermal therapies for skin cancer and infections. Herein, a critical analysis of the current state of research on MOFs and MOF-based composites for wound healing and dressings is provided, offering valuable insights into the potential applications, challenges, and future directions in this field. This literature review has targeted the multifunctionality nature of MOFs in wound-disease therapy and healing from different aspects and discussed the most recent advancements made in the field. In this context, the potential reader will find how the MOFs contributed to this field to yield more effective, functional, and innovative dressings and how they lead to the next generation of biomaterials for skin therapy and regeneration.

Amyloid detection in neurodegenerative diseases using MOFs

Neurodegenerative diseases (amyloid diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's), stemming from protein misfolding and aggregation, encompass a spectrum of disorders with severe systemic implications. Timely detection is pivotal in managing these diseases owing to their significant impact on organ function and high mortality rates. The diverse array of amyloid disorders, spanning localized and systemic manifestations, underscores the complexity of these conditions and highlights the need for advanced detection methods. Traditional approaches have focused on identifying biomarkers using imaging techniques (PET and MRI) or invasive procedures. However, recent efforts have focused on the use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a versatile class of materials known for their unique properties, in revolutionizing amyloid disease detection. The high porosity, customizable structures, and biocompatibility of MOFs enable their integration with biomolecules, laying the groundwork for highly sensitive and specific biosensors. These sensors have been employed using electrochemical and photophysical techniques that target amyloid species under neurodegenerative conditions. The adaptability of MOFs allows for the precise detection and quantification of amyloid proteins, offering potential advancements in early diagnosis and disease management. This review article delves into how MOFs contribute to detecting amyloid diseases by categorizing their uses based on different sensing methods, such as electrochemical (EC), electrochemiluminescence (ECL), fluorescence, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), up-conversion luminescence resonance energy transfer (ULRET), and photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing. The drawbacks of MOF biosensors and the challenges encountered in the field are also briefly explored from our perspective.

Porous Coordination Polymer MOF-808 as an Effective Catalyst to Enhance Sustainable Chemical Processes

The improvement of sustainable chemical processes plays a pivotal role in safe environmental and societal development, for example, by reducing the use of hazardous substances, preventing chemical waste, and improving the efficiency of chemical reactions to obtain added-value compounds. In this context, the porous coordination polymer MOF-808 (MOF, metal-organic framework) was prepared by a straightforward method in water, at room temperature, and was unequivocally characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, vibrational spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. MOF-808 material was applied for the first time as catalysts in ring-opening aminolysis reactions of epoxides. It demonstrated high activity and selectivity for reactions of styrene oxide and cyclohexene oxide with aniline, using a very low amount of an eco-sustainable solvent (0.5 mL of EtOH), at 70 °C. Moreover, MOF-808 demonstrated high stability in the catalytic reaction conditions applied, and a notable reuse capacity of up to 20 consecutive reaction cycles, without significant variation in its catalytic performance. In fact, this Zr-based porous coordination polymer prepared by environment-friendly conditions proved to be a novel efficient heterogeneous catalyst, promoting the ring-opening reaction of epoxides under more sustainable conditions, and using a very low amount of catalyst.

Novel Hydrophobic Functionalized UiO-66 Series: Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation of Their Structural and Physical-Chemical Properties

A novel set of four functionalized hydrophobic UiO-66-NHR series were synthesized through postsynthetic procedures, utilizing various benzoyl chlorides and UiO-66-NH2 as starting materials. This synthesis method was carried out by employing p- (1) and o-toluoyl (2), as well as 2- (3) and 4-fluorobenzoyl (4) substituents. The analysis of the resulting compounds was performed using conventional spectroscopic methods such as FT-IR and 1H NMR to quantify the conversion rate into amide. Furthermore, SEM and XPS techniques were employed for morphological and surface analysis. Finally, the evaluation of the chemical stability and contact angle using the sessile drop method was performed to evaluate the technological potential of these compounds for application in aqueous and acidic media (such as selective separation of different metals and wastewater recovery).