Nanozymes in pharmaceutical analysis: From ultrasensitive drug detection to therapeutic activity evaluation

Nanozymes are a class of biomimetic materials that integrate the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials with enzyme-like catalytic activities. As an emerging and highly promising frontier in pharmaceutical analysis, nanozymes have garnered considerable attention. Leveraging multimodal sensing and signal amplification strategies, nanozymes enable the ultrasensitive detection of trace-level drugs; meanwhile, through rational surface modification and microenvironment responsive engineering, their specificity and operational stability in complex pharmaceutical matrices have been significantly enhanced. Furthermore, nanozymes possess distinctive biological activities, positioning them as promising prodrug candidates. To provide researchers with a timely and comprehensive overview of the rapid advances in this burgeoning field, this review systematically summarizes the latest cutting-edge research progress of nanozymes in pharmaceutical analysis. We first elaborate on recent advances in nanozyme-based drug detection, encompassing innovative strategies for highly sensitive detection, enhanced specificity and anti-interference capability, and practical applications in complex pharmaceutical matrix analysis. Subsequently, we review the progress in nanozyme mediated evaluation of disease-treating activities, including efficacy assessment and mechanistic studies in antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor applications. Finally, we identify current challenges and outline future research directions. We believed that this review will inspire researchers in related disciplines and make a positive contribution to the exploration of new directions in pharmaceutical analysis.