Metals Advances ›› 2026, Vol. 41: 1-15.DOI: 10.1016/j.metadv.2026.02.008

• Review Article •     Next Articles

Advances in metal-hybridized nanoenzymes for catalytic cancer diagnosis and therapy

Yongfeng Sua,b,1, Fei Yanga,1, Han Lina,c, Jian Hana,b, Junda Lua,b, Jianwen Chenga,b,*()   

  1. a Department of Orthopaedics Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
    b Guangxi Clinical Medical Research Center for Orthopedic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
    c Department of Orthopaedics Trauma and Hand Surgery, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 537000, China
  • Received:2025-10-31 Revised:2026-01-01 Accepted:2026-01-09 Online:2026-03-10 Published:2026-02-07
  • Contact: *Department of Orthopaedics Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China. E-mail address: chengjianwen@sr.gxmu.edu.cn (J. Cheng).
  • About author:1These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract:

As a class of artificial enzyme mimics, nanozymes combine the unique properties of nanomaterials with the catalytic functions of natural enzymes. In recent years, with the rapid development of nanomedicine and nanocatalytic technology, metal-hybridized nanoenzymes (MHNs) have shown great potential with excellent catalytic properties and good biocompatibility, providing new ideas and reference solutions for cancer diagnosis and treatment. This review introduces the latest progress of MHNs, focuses on their specific applications in cancer diagnosis and treatment, explores their potential in cancer marker detection, bioimaging, tumor microenvironment (TME) response, cellular level detection, and provides an in-depth analysis of how MHNs can regulate the TME with their catalytic activity and synergistically enhance the anticancer effect in combination with various means, such as immunotherapy and photothermal therapy (PTT). In addition, we will discuss the key issues and future development directions of current research and breakthroughs in the clinical translation of key bottlenecks, in order to lay the foundation for the promotion of the practical application of MHNs in cancer therapy.

Key words: Cancer, Metal-hybridized nanoenzymes, Diagnosis, Therapy