Metalloprotein-Based Nanomedicines: Design Strategies, Functional Mechanisms, and Biomedical Applications

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Metalloprotein-based nanomedicines integrate the multifunctionality of metal centers with the engineerability of proteins to construct advanced nanoplatforms for targeted delivery, diagnostic imaging, and multimodal therapy. In these nanomedicines, metal ions or clusters act as functional cores, enabling imaging contrast enhancement, catalytic reactions, and modulation of pathological microenvironments, while protein frameworks provide structural stability, intrinsic biocompatibility, and programmable bio-interfaces. This review summarizes the design principles of three major metalloprotein-based nanomedicines, including native metalloproteins, engineered metalloproteins, and metal-protein hybrid nanostructures, with a focus on ferritin, transferrin, and heme/cytochrome proteins in the contexts of cancer therapy, imaging diagnostics, antimicrobial, and anti-resistance applications. Through discussion of representative metal- and metalloprotein-based nanomedicine candidates, this review highlights the current challenges and outlines opportunities brought by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence-guided protein design. Collectively, these advances underscore metal- and metalloprotein-based nanomedicines as multifunctional, tunable, and clinically promising platforms that are poised to become an important pillar of future nanomedicine.

Source: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/ijms27021076

Authors: Tingting Ma, Zhongwei Mao, Bin Xue, Yi Cao, Wei Sun

Institutions: Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University

Language: English

Topic: Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery

Subfield: Biomaterials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,499

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Nanjing University, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

OpenAlex ID: W7125237234