Engineering Gas-Releasing Polymersome Nanoreactors for Selective Biocatalytic Activation

Polymersomes, often referred to as polymeric vesicles, can act as nanoreactors by encapsulating enzymes within their aqueous lumen. However, most polymersome systems exhibit low membrane permeability, hindering substrate exchange and thus posing a critical challenge to their application as nanoreactors. Herein, we report the design of a glutathione (GSH)-responsive polymersome nanoreactor system with selective intracellular biocatalytic activation. Upon GSH stimulation, the glucose oxidase (GOx)-loaded polymersome nanoreactors are capable of releasing SO₂, which enhances the permeability of the polymersome membrane, thereby activating biocatalysis to convert glucose into hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). In vitro studies confirmed the successful cellular uptake of nanoreactors, and importantly, the biocatalytic reaction was only activated within cancer cells due to the overexpressed GSH levels, suggesting the system's "ON/OFF" selectivity. Moreover, the GOx-mediated catalytic reactions, coupled with the concurrent generation of SO₂, enabled the polymersome nanoreactors to exhibit enhanced cancer cell-killing capacity by modulating intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. This work presents a new strategy for selective biocatalytic activation of nanoreactors, providing a promising platform for the development of functional polymersome systems.