Recent advances in NO-triggered gas therapy by metal-organic frameworks

Gas therapy has become increasingly prominent as a novel treatment approach in the medical field. NO, CO, and H2S gases, as gas signaling molecules for regulating pathological and physiological processes, provide potential treatments for diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, bacteria, and virus infection, especially for the gas therapy using NO. However, the inherent instability of therapeutic gases makes it difficult to perform direct gas administration and controlled delivery within clinically relevant ranges. As highly stable, porous, and customizable compounds, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have a potential future in therapeutic gas delivery. As a new type of drug carrier, MOFs can deliver NO to the lesion area through endogenous and exogenous pathways, which has attracted wide attention. This review will focus on the source and category of NO through endogenous and exogenous pathways, the NO-triggered gas therapy based on MOFs, and the related mechanism of the treatment was also discussed. Moreover, the future challenges and directions in NO-triggered gas therapy by MOFs are explored.