Liposome-Templated Hydrogel Nanoparticles as Vehicles for Enzyme-Based Therapies

Several diseases are related to the lack or to the defective activity of a particular enzyme and therefore these proteins potentially represent a very interesting class of therapeutics. However, their application is hampered by their rapid degradation and immunogenic side-effects. Most attempts to increase the bioavailability of therapeutic enzymes are based on formulations, in which the protein is entrapped within a scaffold structure but needs to be released to exert its activity. In this work, an alternative method will be described, designed to keep the enzyme in its active form inside a nanoparticle (NP) without the need to release it, thus maintaining the protective action of the nanoscaffold during the entire period of administration. In this approach, liposomes were used as nanotemplates for the synthesis of polyacrylamide hydrogel NPs under non-denaturing conditions, optimizing the polymer properties to obtain a mesh size small enough to limit the enzyme release, while allowing the free diffusion of its substrates and products. The enzyme Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase was chosen as a test case for this study, but our results indicate that the approach is generalizable to other enzymes. Biocompatible, size-tunable nanoparticles have been obtained, with a good encapsulation efficiency (37%), in which the enzyme maintains its activity. This system represents a promising tool for enzyme-based therapy, which would protect the protein from antibodies and degradation, while allowing it to exert its catalytic activity.