Metal-organic frameworks in pharmaceutical research

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a highly versatile class of porous materials with significant potential to advance pharmaceutical research. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of MOFs, encompassing their synthesis strategies, characterization methodologies, and diverse biomedical applications. We detail various synthesis approaches (e.g., hydrothermal, electrochemical, microwave) and essential characterization techniques (e.g., X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis) that are critical for developing well-defined MOF structures. The review highlights the key advantages of MOFs in drug delivery, including their exceptional drug loading capacity, good biocompatibility, and capabilities for sustained, controlled, and targeted release. Their applications in improving drug solubility and stability, enabling pulmonary delivery, and functioning in biosensing, antimicrobial therapy, and nucleic acid delivery are also extensively discussed. Furthermore, we explore the utility of MOFs in drug structure analysis and the development of advanced functional systems, such as stimuli-responsive and self-propelled MOFs. Despite promising preclinical progress, challenges related to scalability, reproducibility, and long-term biosafety remain to be addressed for successful clinical translation. This work aims to bridge the gap between MOF materials science and pharmaceutical applications, offering valuable insights for the rational design of next-generation drug delivery systems and therapeutic platforms.