Abstract:The nanozyme is a new concept that has been included in the Encyclopedia of China. It is defined as a type of nanomaterial that possesses intrinsic enzyme-like activity. Nanozymes were first conceptualized by Chinese scientists in interdisciplinary fields of material science, chemistry, biology and medicine. Since the original work was published in Nature Nanotechnology in 2007, 2: 577-583, it has been cited over 1480 times and has drawn significant attention worldwide. To date, over 130 laboratories across 22 countries have contributed to research on nanozymes. The application of nanozymes has been extended to biology, medicine, agriculture, national defense and many other fields, and has gradually transferred from diagnosis to therapeutics of human diseases. Nanozyme research is an emerging field bridging nanotechnology and biology. By using their multi-functionality, including enzymatic activity and other specific nanoscale properties, nanozymes will likely continue to facilitate the development of state-of-the-art technologies and products to improve human health and quality of life. As we approach the 10-year anniversary of the discovery of nanozymes, I humbly accepted to organize this “nanozyme special edition”. I would like to convey my gratefulness to the editor and all the authors, who have done extraordinary amount of work for their reviews, this project would not have been possible without them.

Abstract:With the development of nanotechnology, researchers have successfully constructed some inorganic nanomaterials, which can mimic the catalytic activity of natural antioxidant enzymes. These nanomaterials can regulate the redox levels of cells by mimicking the catalytic processes of natural enzymes such as peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. This paper describes the intracellular ROS regulation and oxidative stress-related diseases treatment effects of metal compounds nanozymes, noble metal nanozymes and carbon-based nanozymes from the perspective of their enzyme-like activities. As a new type of enzyme mimic, nanozymes are expected to provide a new strategy for the treatment of diseases in the future biomedical field.

Abstract:Antibiotic-resistance of bacteria and antibiotics abuse is a global challenge. It is urgent to develop novel bactericide alternative to kill bacteria efficiently but without causing new resistance and biosafety issue. Nanozymes are nanomaterials with intrinsic enzyme-like activities which regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) by redox reactions. This property can be used to suppress many gram-positive and gram-negative virulent bacteria and biofilms. Meanwhile, nanozymes have high stability, biocompatibility and reusability compared to other biocidal agents. Therefore nanozymes present a promising antibacterial alternative in the application of wound healing, caries prevention and marine antifouling.

Abstract:Nanozymes, the catalytic nanomaterials with enzyme-like properties, have attracted enormous interests in recent years. They have been used for wide range applications from biosensing and bioimaging to therapeutics and environmental protection. In this review, we highlighted the recent progress of nanozymes in analytical applications. We first discussed the in vitro applications, which covered the detection of bioactive small molecules, nucleic acids, protein biomarkers, cells, etc. We then discussed the in vivo applications, which included the monitoring of bioactive small molecules in live brains and tumor tissues, the study of drug efficacy, and the investigation of drug and nanozyme metabolism, etc. Finally, we concluded the potential challenges of nanozymes when applying to analytical chemistry and prospected future directions.

Abstract:Inorganic solids with enzyme-like activity are promising to overcome many restrictions of native enzymes in application. Especially attractive are nanoparticles with superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, due to their ability to reduce the damaging properties of reactive oxygen species within cells and organism. This review discusses the necessary requirements for nanoparticles to have SOD activity and reveals a close relationship between catalysis on prebiotic earth and the recent SOD mimics. This review also aims to highlight the progress in the development of SOD mimicking nanoparticles. We give a broad overview of nanoparticles with SOD activity, based on their material make-up, to underline their increasing diversity.

Abstract:Nanozyme is a very exciting and promising field that aims to imitate the general principles of natural enzymes using various nanomaterials and offers a lot of practical applications in many areas. Natural enzyme has some intrinsic drawbacks such as high cost, low stability, difficulty in storage, and sensitivity of catalytic activity towards enviromental conditions. While, nanozyme demonstrates low cost, high stability and high efficient activity. Great progress has been achieved by various peroxidase and/or oxidase mimetics, This brief overview introduce the latest research progresses for two-dimentional transition-metal dichalcogenide nanocomposites as promising enzyme mimics.

Abstract:Nanozymes have attracted increasing attention due to their potential applications related to targeted cancer therapy, diagnostic medicine, bio-sensing and even environmental toxicology. Ferritin with unique architecture, surface properties and high biocompatibility has emerged as an excellent and promising platform for the nanozymes. To highlight the significant progress of ferritin-based nanozymes research, this review discusses the functionality of ferritin in the field of nanozymes, including ferritins as templates/nanoreactors for the synthesis of nanozymes or nanozyme-catalyzed reactions, and as carriers for the delivery of nanozymes. We also try to address the current challenges ferritin-based nanozymes being confronted and point out future directions to reveal their latent potential.

Abstract:The discovery of the peroxidase-like activity of Fe₃O₄ in 2007 has stimulated the emergence of the new, interdisciplinary research field-nanozymes. Many nanozymes based on metal, metal-oxide, and carbon nanomaterials have been developed, which have applications in the areas of environment, food safety, chemical industry, and biomedicine. Accordingly, progress has also been achieved in the theoretical elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of nanozymes. Here, we will review the basic principles of chemical catalysis. Especially, we will summarize the theoretical results that have been made on the molecular mechanisms of nanozymes consisting of precious metals and carbon materials.

Abstract:Nanozyme is a type of nanomaterial that possesses intrinsic enzyme-like activity, first discovered by Chinese scientists recently. As a new type of artificial enzyme, nanozyme has the advantage of low cost, high stability, ease for mass production. More importantly, it has multi-functionality, including enzymatic activity as well as other specific nanoscale properties such as magnetics, optics, and photothermy. The emergence of nanozymes provides us with new ideas, new methods and new tools for the application of enzymic catalytic reaction in disease diagnosis. This review focuses on the application of nanozymes in disease diagnosis in recent years, including cancers, metabolic diseases, infectious diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases and inflammatory diseases and so on. We also address the current challenges and possible directions to fulfill their prominent potential in future.

Abstract:As a special cross-discplinary research frontier, nanozyme, which is capable of accomplishing desirable enzyme-mimicking catalytic performance based on nanomaterials, has attracted great attentions from the scientific community in recent years. The research on nanozyme is becoming a rapidly emerging field since magnetic nanoparticles with intrinsic peroxidase-like activity was first reported in 2007. The unique physicochemical properties of nanozymes at nano-level endow them with excellent catalytic performance for various applications, such as cancer theranostics. In this review, we highlight the recent developments of catalytic chemistry in advancing the development of nanomedicine for diverse nanozyme-based oncological applications, and the current challenges and future developments of nanozymes are also discussed for their further clinical translations. It is highly expected that this novel nanozyme and corresponding high catalytic performance in cancer imaging and therapy would significantly promote the generation of new subdiscipline of nanomedicine by rationally integrating catalytic chemistry with clinical theranostic nanomedicine.

Abstract:Nanozymes are nanomaterials with enzymatic catalytic activities. Compared with natural enzymes, nanozymes have many advantages, such as low price, simple preparation process, good stability and high cycle utilization. Previous studies have mainly used nanozymes for detection applications, including the detection of ions, small molecules, nucleic acids, proteins and cancer cells. With the deep understanding of nanozymes, it is found that they also have great potentials in disease treatments. This review will introduce the latest research progress of nanozymes in the fields of bacterial infection, inflammation, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Abstract:Nanozyme is identified as a biological-like enzyme in its substrate recognition, catalysis, and reacting kinetics. More and more laboratories employ nanozymes in basic and applied research. However, whether nanoenzyme features in denaturation and renaturation under a certain condition needs paying attention and further investigating.

Abstract:Nanozyme: opportunities and challenges

Abstract:Application research on nanozymes in AML therapy and diagnosis (National Key Research and Development Program)