Nanozyme-based medicine for enzymatic therapy: progress and challenges.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanomedicine
• Enzymology

Background:

• Nanozymes are nanomaterials with enzyme-like properties, offering advantages over natural enzymes like lower cost, enhanced stability, and simpler preparation.
• They present a promising new generation of artificial enzymes for therapeutic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in nanozyme-based medicine for enzymatic therapy.
• To highlight the opportunities and challenges associated with nanozyme applications in this field.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of nanozyme research in therapeutic applications.
• Analysis of nanozyme activities, including oxidoreductase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and oxidase functions.
• Discussion of nanozyme mechanisms in regulating cellular redox balance.

Main Results:

• Nanozymes can be engineered with specific enzyme-like activities, primarily oxidoreductase functions.
• Nanozymes with superoxide dismutase and catalase activity effectively scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) for cytoprotection.
• Nanozymes with peroxidase and oxidase activity can generate ROS to eliminate harmful cells like tumor cells and bacteria.

Conclusions:

• Nanozymes demonstrate significant potential in enzymatic therapy due to their tunable properties and advantages over natural enzymes.
• Further research is needed to address the opportunities and challenges for the clinical translation of nanozyme-based therapies.