Graduate Student Sanaz Hashemipour

"Metal-Organic Frameworks: Pioneering Next-Generation Drug Delivery Solutions"

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a family of porous materials consisting of metal clusters and organic ligands. Due to their high pore volume, large specific surface area, and biocompatibility they found their way into various bio-applications such as drug delivery systems (DDSs). Here the growing capacity of MOFs in drug delivery systems is studied. [1,2,3] Metal-organic frameworks are carefully engineered at the molecular level and possess tailored porosity and versatile properties, such as nano-scale building blocks. Their modular nature allows for precise customization and facilitates innovative solutions in DDSs, where traditional methods fail to function efficiently. Recent research has focused on the utilization of MOFs in cancer treatment, highlighting their ability to react to specific stimuli such as changes in pH for controlled drug release, thus minimizing adverse effects and improving therapeutic efficacy. [1,2]
In this seminar, the synthesis and characterization of MOFs for targeted drug delivery of 5-Flourouracil [1] and Norfloxacin [2] are showcased, demonstrating their potential in customized therapies.

References:

[1] Muhammad Usman Akbar, Muhammad Badar, and Muhammad Zaheer, ACS Omega 2022 7 (36), 32588-32598.

[2] Pretty Yadav, Sarita Kumari, Anand Yadav, Priya Bhardwaj, Mulaka Maruthi, Anindita Chakraborty, and Prakash Kanoo, ACS Omega 2023 8 (31), 28367-28375.

[3] Tajnšek, T.K., Svensson Grape, E., Willhammar, T. Design and degradation of permanently porous vitamin C and zinc-based metal-organic framework. CommunChem 2022 24 (5),42004-420022.