Metal-Organic Framework-Remodeled Gut Microbiota Alleviates Colonic Inflammation via Selective Modulation of <i>Roseburia intestinalis</i>.

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is marked by severe colonic inflammation and oxidative stress-induced tissue damage, often accompanied by gut microbiota dysbiosis. Probiotics have recently been recognized as promising therapeutic agents for IBD. Herein, we examined the modulatory effects of orally administered metal-organic framework (MOF) nanozyme MOF-818 on gut microbiota in a mouse model of IBD. Oral treatment with MOF-818 significantly alleviated IBD symptoms, reduced intestinal oxidative damage, and favorably altered the gut microbiota composition. Notably, MOF-818 selectively enhanced the proliferation of <i>Roseburia intestinalis</i> (<i>R. intestinalis</i>). Further analyses showed that MOF-818 significantly upregulated bacterial division-related genes (<i>ftsZ, ftsE</i>) in <i>R. intestinalis</i> while genes associated with ATP synthesis (<i>atpA, atpD</i>) were also highly expressed, boosting energy production to support rapid cell division and proliferation. These findings underscore the biofunctional role of MOF-818 as an active modulator of the gut microflora rather than a passive therapeutic agent, which highlights its significant synergistic potential with probiotics and lays a theoretical foundation for the future application of MOF-based materials in combination with probiotics.