Biocompatible surface modification of nano-scale zeolitic imidazolate frameworks for enhanced drug delivery

Recently, nanoscale metal organic frameworks have attracted considerable attention as a novel drug delivery system platform owing to their highly efficient drug loading and delivery capacities. However, their low dispersity in aqueous media, poor biocompatibility, and non-active targeting ability seriously limit their further clinical application. To address these issues, a hyaluronic acid (HA)-coated ZIF-8 nanocomposite (CCM@ZIF-8/HA) was successfully developed for use in anti-cancer treatment through efficient curcumin (CCM) delivery. The resultant CCM@ZIF-8/HA showed a long-term pH-dependent controlled drug release based on the core–shell structure of the encapsulation by HA. Moreover, compared to bare CCM@ZIF-8, the obtained ternary assembly showed enhanced dispersity in PBS, promoted cellular uptake, and greater growth inhibition against HeLa cells. Thus, CCM@ZIF-8/HA can not only serve as an ideal drug carrier, but it can also provide a general surface modification strategy to promote the performance of metal organic frameworks for efficient drug delivery.