The Dual-Faceted Role of Metal-Based Nanomaterials in Hepatic Fibrosis Therapy

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Hepatic fibrosis represents a pivotal transitional stage between hepatitis and cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma, predominantly mediated by hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation, dysregulated extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, and oxidative stress. Metal-based nanomaterials (MNMs) exhibit dualistic effects in liver fibrosis progression, owing to their high specific surface area, tunable morphology, surface functionalization potential, and quantum properties. On the one hand, MNMs hold substantial therapeutic and diagnostic potential: they enable precise targeted drug delivery (passive/active targeting to HSCs or hepatocytes), synergize with natural products to enhance bioavailability and multifaceted antifibrotic efficacy, remodel the fibrotic microenvironment via nanozyme-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and hypoxia alleviation, and serve as core components of integrated theranostic platforms for noninvasive imaging and real-time treatment monitoring. Specifically, pure metals (Au, Pt), metal oxides (CeO 2 , Fe 3 O 4 , MnO 2 ), metal sulfide/ selenide/ telluride (MoS 2 ), and metal composites (ZIF-8) have demonstrated promising preclinical outcomes in inhibiting HSCs activation, reducing ECM deposition, and improving fibrosis staging accuracy. While demonstrating therapeutic potential, MNMs present significant fibrogenic risks. Inappropriate physico

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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