Designer nanozymes for reactive-oxygen species scavenging anti-inflammatory therapy
In a recent report, Yufeng Liu and a team of interdisciplinary researchers in China developed an integrated nanozyme cascade to eliminate excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS; oxygen free radicals). The nanozyme mimicked superoxide dismutase (a group of enzymes) and incorporated a manganese (Mn)-based metal-organic framework (MOF) to transform oxygen radicals to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Using in-lab and in vivo experiments, the team showed the ROS-scavenging potential of integrated cascade nanozymes. As proof of concept, they relieved two forms of inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD)—ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease using cascade nanozymes as effective treatments. The study provided a new method to construct enzyme-like cascade systems and illustrate the promise of their efficient therapy to treat IBD in vivo. The work is now published on Science Advances.