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Enzyme-Immobilized Oxoammonium Nanogels: A Biocompatible and Injectable Platform for Enhanced Enzyme Stability and
Suman Basak1,2, Tushar Kanti Das3
1Department of Health Technology, DTU Health Tech Technical University of Denmark Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark.
Biomacromolecules
|October 3, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed redox-responsive nanogels for enzyme immobilization. These injectable materials offer mild conditions, high enzyme activity, and controlled release for therapeutic and biocatalysis applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Enzyme Engineering
Background:
- Enzyme immobilization is crucial for biocatalysis and therapeutics.
- Developing mild, efficient, and tunable immobilization methods remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create redox-responsive nanogels for noncovalent enzyme immobilization.
- To investigate the effect of oxoammonium content on enzyme encapsulation and activity.
- To demonstrate controlled enzyme release and therapeutic potential.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of amphiphilic PEG-b-poly(PMA-co-GMA) via RAFT polymerization.
- Oxidation to oxoammonium-functionalized nanogels for electrostatic complexation with anionic proteins.
- Evaluation of enzyme encapsulation efficiency, loading, activity, stability, and reusability.
- Assessment of nanogel properties including colloidal stability, rheology, and cytocompatibility.
- Demonstration of redox-triggered enzyme release and in vitro therapeutic effects.
Main Results:
- Oxoammonium content (30-70%) correlated with high encapsulation (85-98%) and loading (26-47%).
- Immobilized lipase and paraoxonase-1 (PON1) retained or exceeded native activity, with higher specific activity and reusability.
- Nanogels exhibited colloidal stability, shear-thinning behavior, and excellent cytocompatibility (>90% cell viability).
- Redox-triggered release was achieved via glutathione reduction and mild acidification.
- PON1-loaded nanogels demonstrated significant antioxidant and lipid-protective effects.
Conclusions:
- The developed oxoammonium-functionalized nanogels provide a tunable, biocompatible platform for enzyme stabilization and recycling under mild aqueous conditions.
- This system enables on-demand enzyme release, showing promise for therapeutic delivery and advanced biocatalysis.
