Lingjun Li,1 Jiaoyang Pan,2 Mengwei Huang,3 Jiamin Sun,3 Cheng Wang,2 Hongbin Xu3 

1Department of Reproductive Medicine Center, Changzhou Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Changzhou No. 2 People’s Hospital), Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Hongbin Xu, Email drxu@njmu.edu.cn

Abstract: The burgeoning field of cancer theranostics has been significantly advanced by the development of Metal-Phenolic Networks (MPNs), a new class of supramolecular architectures that integrate the advantages of metals and polyphenols. This review focuses on MPNs and their promising applications in cancer theranostics. Through a systematic literature search spanning from 2010 to 2023 in databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The period of search was justified by the rapid evolution of nanomaterials in cancer therapy, with MPNs emerging as a significant player in biomedical applications within the specified timeframe. This review discusses the classification and structure of polyphenolic compounds, as well as their mechanisms of action in cancer treatment. The applications of MPNs in chemotherapy drug delivery, photothermal therapy, chemodynamic therapy, biomedical imaging, and synergistic therapy are especially detailed. The authors emphasize the significance of MPNs in cancer nanomedicine and look forward to their future development directions.

Keywords: MPN, cancer, theranostics, polyphenolic compounds