A nanocomplex of enzymes can lower blood alcohol levels and reduce liver damage in intoxicated mice, according to a study published today (February 17) in Nature Nanotechnology. The research, which employed a new technique to assemble and encapsulate multiple enzymes, suggests that tailored enzyme nanocomplexes could be built for a wide range of applications.
“It’s a very elegant approach to positioning enzymes in a controlled fashion, and it’s certainly a step forward,” said Jan van Hest, a professor of bio-organic chemistry at Radboud University in Nijmegen, Holland, who was not involved in the study. “They show very nice results already, with increased [enzyme] activity in living systems, and it’s a very generic approach so it looks like it could be extended [to other applications].”
