Research progress on metal-organic framework-based drug delivery systems for breast cancer treatment

Advances in research on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-based drug delivery systems for breast cancer treatment have demonstrated the immense potential of MOFs as crystalline porous materials with periodic network structures, owing to their large specific surface area, high porosity, tunable pore size, and ease of chemical functionalization. This review summarizes the multimodal synergistic strategies and clinical translation challenges of MOFs as carriers for loading various molecules, including chemotherapeutic drugs and photosensitizers, in breast cancer treatment encompassing chemodynamic therapy, photodynamic therapy, and immunotherapy. Studies have shown that MOFs can not only control the release of loaded substances through endogenous and exogenous means but also exhibit immunogenicity, enabling the reversal of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments and the initiation of immunogenic cell death, thereby significantly enhancing the therapeutic efficacy against breast cancer. Despite challenges such as biodegradability, metabolic dynamics, scalable production, and quality control in biomedical applications, the prospects of MOFs as nanocarrier materials in breast cancer treatment remain promising. • Reviewed MOFs' multimodal strategies & clinical issues as molecule carriers. • Discussed MOFs' release control via endo/exo methods for loaded substances. • Explored MOFs' immunogenicity enhancing breast cancer therapeutic efficacy.