A curcumin-enabled ZIF8 nanosystem enables ovarian cancer treatment by inducing mitochondrial disruption

Ovarian cancer is a common malignancy affecting the female reproductive system. Curcumin (Cur) demonstrates potential as a treatment for ovarian cancer, but creating an effective curcumin-based drug delivery system remains challenging. The advent of the Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework (ZIF) system offers a novel approach for antitumor drug delivery. In this study, effective drug delivery to ovarian cancer cells was accomplished through the construction of a ZIF-based nanodrug delivery system, ZIF-Cur, that encapsulates curcumin. We verified that Cur delivered by ZIF enhanced mitochondrial ROS accumulation in tumor cells, thereby killing tumor cells. The system showed the well biosafety profile, offering a insight therapeutic perspective for ovarian cancer treatment.