Enzymatic Logic Gates

Enzymatic Logic Gates

Author: Rosalyne Cowie

Smart delivery systems are nanoscopic structures containing entrapped guests, e.g., drugs, that can be released in specific locations. Janus-type Au/mesoporous silica (MS) nanoparticles have been designed with a gate on the MS side of the nanoparticle that is controlled by two enzyme effectors, glucose oxidase and esterase, attached to Au on the other face.

Ramón Martínez-Máñez, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain, Reynaldo Villalonga, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, José M. Pingarrón, Complutense University of Madrid, and colleagues designed the gate to open selectively through an enzyme-catalyzed reaction in the presence of either D-glucose or ethyl butyrate, or both substrates. Thus, release of the guest cargo is controlled by an enzymatic logical OR operator.

Nanoparticles loaded with an anti-cancer drug were successfully tested with HeLa cancer cells.


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