Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) with therapeutic and biomedical applications: a patent review

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are a recent group of nano porous materials with exceptional physical properties, such as large surface areas, high pore volumes, low densities and well-defined pores. This type of material has been used frequently for biomedical and therapeutic applications, such as drug delivery systems and theranostic materials.

Areas covered: In this review, the authors searched for patents filed in the last 10 years, found in different databases, related to the therapeutic or biomedical application of MOFs for use in different health fields. The possibility of these new materials becoming new therapeutic possibilities available to the population was emphasized.

Expert opinion: The advances in research with MOFs have grown in the last 10 years and with that many possibilities for their applications have emerged in several areas, especially biomedical. The possibility of using these materials in drug delivery systems is the most common form of possibility of use in the health area, mainly due to easy obtaining and high reproducibility, which are seen very positively by the drug development technology sector.

KEYWORDS:

• Antineoplastic agents
• biomedical technology
• materials science
• metal organic frameworks
• theranostic nanomedicine

Article highlights

• The number of patents filed showing MOF inventions with therapeutic and biomedical uses has been noticed in the past few years.

• Several MOFs systems have been reported as possibilities for anticancer treatments.

• The possibility of using MOF systems in photodynamic therapy and as theranostic agents has been gaining ground.

• Filed patents relating MOF systems for the treatment of Chagas’ disease and Parkinson’s disease were also analyzed.

This box summarizes key points contained in the article.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

The authors were supported by grants from CAPES/Brazil, CNPq/Brazil and FACEPE/Brazil.