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Porphyrinic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer high surface areas and tunable catalytic and optoelectronic properties, making them versatile candidates for applications in phototherapy, drug delivery, photocatalysis, electronics, and energy storage. However, a key challenge for industrial integration is the rapid, cost-effective production of suitable sizes. This study introduces Zr(IV) alkoxides as metal precursors, achieving ultrafast (∼minutes) and high-yield (>90%) synthesis of three well-known Zr-based porphyrinic MOF nanocrystals: MOF-525, PCN-224, and PCN-222, each with distinct topologies. By adjusting linker-to-metal and modulator-to-metal ratios, we attain precise control over single-phase formation. Demonstrating alkoxides' potential, we synthesized nanosized PCN-224 at room temperature within seconds using a continuous multifluidic method. This advancement greatly simplifies porphyrinic MOF production, enabling broader industrial and scientific applications., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

The blood enzyme glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) has been postulated as an effective therapeutic to protect the brain during stroke. To demonstrate its potential clinical utility, a new human recombinant form of GOT (rGOT) was produced for medical use. We tested the pharmacokinetics and evaluated the protective efficacy of rGOT in rodent and non-human primate models that reflected clinical stroke conditions. We found that continuous intravenous administration of rGOT within the first 8 h after ischemic onset significantly reduced the infarct size in both severe (30%) and mild lesions (48%). Cerebrospinal fluid and proteomics analysis, in combination with positron emission tomography imaging, indicated that rGOT can reach the brain and induce cytoprotective autophagy and induce local protection by alleviating neuronal apoptosis. Our results suggest that rGOT can be safely used immediately in patients suspected of having a stroke. This study requires further validation in clinical stroke populations., Competing Interests: The funding sponsors did not participate in the study design; collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; writing the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. Preparation of the new version of identical human rGOT at Biotechpharma (Lithuania) was supported by a grant from Sun Pharma (Mumbai, India) to Prof. David Mirelman., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Translating the potential of transition metal catalysis to biological and living environments promises to have a profound impact in chemical biology and biomedicine. A major challenge in the field is the creation of metal-based catalysts that remain active over time. Here, we demonstrate that embedding a reactive metallic core within a microporous metal-organic framework-based cloak preserves the catalytic site from passivation and deactivation, while allowing a suitable diffusion of the reactants. Specifically, we report the fabrication of nanoreactors composed of a palladium nanocube core and a nanometric imidazolate framework, which behave as robust, long-lasting nanoreactors capable of removing propargylic groups from phenol-derived pro-fluorophores in biological milieu and inside living cells. These heterogeneous catalysts can be reused within the same cells, promoting the chemical transformation of recurrent batches of reactants. We also report the assembly of tissue-like 3D spheroids containing the nanoreactors and demonstrate that they can perform the reactions in a repeated manner., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2020 The Author(s).)