Smart Bioorthogonal Catalytic Factory for Glaucoma Therapy.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Enzyme Engineering
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Glaucoma is characterized by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), oxidative stress, and optic nerve damage.
• Natural enzymes offer high efficiency and specificity for glaucoma treatment but suffer from poor stability and recoverability.
• Enzyme immobilization on suitable carriers is crucial for enhancing enzyme stability and therapeutic application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a stable and biocompatible enzyme immobilization strategy for glaucoma therapy.
• To create a novel bioorthogonal catalytic factory for effective reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging.
• To investigate the potential of the developed material in lowering IOP and mitigating oxidative damage in glaucoma.

Main Methods:

• A mild, room-temperature aqueous-phase enzyme immobilization technique was used to immobilize superoxide dismutase and catalase.
• L-arginine was incorporated into the pores and modified with DSPE-mPEG to create the SC@COF-L-D catalytic factory.
• The efficacy of SC@COF-L-D in ROS scavenging, activation of the soluble guanylate cyclase pathway, and IOP reduction was evaluated.

Main Results:

• The SC@COF-L-D strategy significantly protected natural enzymes from inactivation, enhancing operational stability.
• The catalytic factory demonstrated potent scavenging of reactive oxygen species, reducing oxidative and nitrative damage.
• SC@COF-L-D successfully activated the soluble guanylate cyclase pathway and effectively lowered intraocular pressure (IOP).

Conclusions:

• The developed SC@COF-L-D material offers a promising paradigm for designing advanced biomaterials for glaucoma therapy.
• Enzyme immobilization via this method overcomes stability limitations, enabling effective ROS scavenging and IOP reduction.
• This approach provides a biocompatible and stable platform for enzymatic treatment of glaucoma.