Pathogenesis-Guided Nanozymes: From Design to Therapy for Gastrointestinal Inflammation

Gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases have a significant impact on human health and quality of life, underscoring the urgent need to develop novel treatment strategies. As emerging biomaterials, nanozymes combine the advantages of nanomaterials with enzyme-like catalytic activities, demonstrating considerable potential for managing gastrointestinal inflammation. To provide researchers with a clear and concise overview of recent advances and future directions in this area, this review systematically summarizes and discusses the progress in nanozyme applications for treating gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, Helicobacter pylori infection, and the like. We begin by elucidating the catalytic mechanisms underlying the major types of nanozymes, including metal-based, metal–organic framework (MOF)-based, and carbon-based nanozymes. Subsequently, we explore nanozyme designs that enable multifaceted therapeutic effects-including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, microbiota regulation, and barrier repair functions-through strategies such as multi-enzyme mimicry, targeted delivery, and stimulus-responsive activation. While challenges related to targeting precision and biosafety remain, nanozymes offer promising opportunities to overcome the limitations of conventional therapies. The review also discusses future prospects, such as AI-assisted design, which may accelerate the development of next-generation nanozymes. We believe this work provides a valuable theoretical foundation for the design of efficient and safe nanozyme-based treatments for gastrointestinal inflammation.