UC San Diego

Therapeutic enzymes used for genetic disorders or metabolic diseases oftentimes suffer from suboptimal pharmacokinetics and stability. Nanodelivery systems have shown considerable promise for improving the performance of enzyme therapies. Here, we develop a cell membrane-camouflaged metal-organic framework (MOF) system with enhanced biocompatibility and functionality. The MOF core can efficiently encapsulate enzymes while maintaining their bioactivity. After the introduction of natural cell membrane coatings, the resulting nanoformulations can be safely administered in vivo. The surface receptors on the membrane can also provide additional functionalities that synergize with the encapsulated enzyme to target disease pathology from multiple dimensions. Employing uricase as a model enzyme, we demonstrate the utility of this approach in multiple animal disease models. The results support the use of cell membrane-coated MOFs for enzyme delivery, and this strategy could be leveraged to improve the usefulness of enzyme-based therapies for managing a wide range of important human health conditions.