Localized and Controlled Delivery of Nitric Oxide to the Conventional Outflow Pathway via Enzyme Biocatalysis: Toward Therapy for Glaucoma

Researchers develop and test an nitric oxide (NO) delivery platform that directly targets the conventional outflow pathway and locally liberates a controlled dose of NO via enzyme biocatalysis. Enzymes are embedded at the desired sites and serve as biological machinery that can locally convert externally administered NO donors into active therapeutics. To enmesh enzymes deep within the TM, which is the principal resistance-generating region, the researchers encapsulate Β-galactosidase in polymer carriers. They fabricate polymer carrier capsules via layer-by-layer adsorption of interacting polymers onto sacrificial particle templates, a versatile technique that allows incorporation of an extensive choice of materials within the multilayer structures and gives fine control over the diffusion of molecules across the shell of the polymer capsules.