Nanozymes in cardiovascular diseases: from mechanisms to translational applications

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the main cause of death and disability worldwide. Existing drug treatments have limitations such as poor targeting, limited efficacy, safety problems, and low patient compliance. Nanozymes, a type of nanomaterial with natural enzyme-like catalytic activity, have shown considerable promise in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in recent years due to their high stability, designability, and good biocompatibility. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the therapeutic mechanisms and the progress in the application of nanozymes in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Nanozymes can efficiently scavenge ROS, regulate oxidative stress and inflammatory response, inhibit apoptosis and abnormal fibrosis, and promote angiogenesis and myocardial repair by mimicking the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and CAT. Nanozymes can also be utilized as intelligent drug delivery vehicles to achieve targeted thrombolysis, regulate the plaque microenvironment, and integrate diagnosis and treatment. Here, we systematically reviewed and analyzed the related studies in recent years, and introduced the development, classification, and role of nanozymes in a variety of CVDs. In addition, the potential of nanozymes in clinical applications is discussed, hoping to provide new strategies for the precision treatment of CVDs in the future.