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Published on: January 24, 2025
Antioxidant functionalized polymer capsules to prevent oxidative stress.
Aitor Larrañaga1, Isma Liza Mohd Isa2, Vaibhav Patil2
1Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM), National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland; Department of Mining-Metallurgy Engineering and Materials Science & POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain.
New polymer capsules loaded with catalase and tannic acid effectively scavenge harmful reactive oxygen species. These antioxidant capsules show promise in preventing oxidative stress and inflammation in degenerative disc disease models.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Oxidative stress is implicated in various diseases like cancer, neurodegeneration, and osteoarthritis.
- Biomaterial-based systems are increasingly explored to manage oxidative stress.
- Polymeric capsules offer potential as microreactors for controlled biochemical reactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize catalase-loaded polymer capsules functionalized with tannic acid (TA).
- To evaluate the antioxidant capacity and radical scavenging properties of the developed capsules.
- To assess the efficacy of these capsules in mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation in an in vitro model of degenerative disc disease.
Main Methods:
- Layer-by-layer fabrication of polymer capsules using calcium carbonate as a sacrificial template.
- Encapsulation of catalase within the polymer capsules.
- Functionalization of the capsule surface with tannic acid.
- In vitro assessment of hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity.
- Evaluation of the capsules' effect on oxidative stress and key proteolytic enzymes (MMP-3, ADAMTS-5) in an inflammation model.
Main Results:
- Tannic acid functionalization significantly enhanced the scavenging capacity for hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals, indicating intrinsic antioxidant properties.
- Catalase-loaded, TA-functionalized capsules demonstrated improved hydrogen peroxide scavenging.
- The capsules successfully prevented oxidative stress in an in vitro inflammation model of degenerative disc disease.
- Expression of MMP-3 and ADAMTS-5 was attenuated by the polymer capsules.
Conclusions:
- Polymer capsules functionalized with tannic acid possess significant antioxidant properties.
- This platform technology effectively reduces oxidative stress and modulates key enzymes involved in inflammatory diseases.
- The developed capsules hold potential for therapeutic applications in treating a wide range of inflammatory conditions.
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