Redox-Active Nanozymes in Metabolic Modulation for Precision Therapeutics.

Abstract

Nanozyme metabolic therapy leverages the catalytic activity of artificial enzymes to reprogram dysregulated metabolic pathways at disease sites, offering a targeted approach to restore physiological homeostasis. This review uniquely focuses on redox-active nanozymes and their roles in modulating key metabolic circuits (e.g., glucose, lactate, lipid, and xanthine metabolism) across diverse pathological contexts. While cancer remains the most extensively explored domain, emerging uses of nanozymes in bacterial infections, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and inflammatory disorders, where mechanistic understanding is still evolving, are also highlighted. By selectively altering metabolite levels and enzymatic activities, nanozymes enable precise metabolic control with high catalytic specificity. Nanozymes are systematically categorized based on their redox mechanisms and the metabolic pathways they influence, and discuss representative examples across disease contexts. Finally, the review concludes by outlining current challenges and emphasizing the translational potential of nanozymes as programmable metabolic modulators, aiming to expand their impact beyond oncology into broader clinical applications.