Current and promising applications of MOFs loaded with PTAs on photothermal therapy

Tumors are one of the biggest threats to human life and health. Treatment methods for tumors include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, etc. These treatment methods have promising therapeutic effects but at the same time have significant side effects. In recent years, photothermal therapy (PTT) has been widely studied in tumor treatment due to its good therapeutic effects, low side effects, and non-invasiveness. The key to PTT is photothermal agents (PTAs), which can undergo photothermal conversion under specific wavelengths of near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation, achieving thermal ablation of tumors. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are coordination polymers formed by self-assembling organic ligands and transition metal ions. They have high surface area, high porosity, and easy functionalization, making them a potential material for tumor photothermal therapy. Load PTAs through MOFs, PTT efficacy can be enhanced, presenting significant potential in the field of PTT. This article reviews the research progress on the combination of commonly used PTAs and MOFs in PTT and discusses the issues that need to be addressed for the application of MOFs in PTT.