• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2015

Nanomaterial-based artificial enzymes (Nanozymes) have attracted recent attention because of their unique advantageous characteristics such as excellent robustness and stability, low-cost production by facile scale-up, and longterm preservation capability that are critically required as an alternative to natural enzymes. These nanozymes exhibit natural enzyme-like activity, and they have been applied to diverse kinds of detection methods for disease-associated biomolecules such as DNAs, proteins, cells, and small molecules including glucose. To highlight the progress in the field of disease diagnostics using nanozyme, this review discusses many nanozyme-based detection methods categorized by the types of target biomolecules. Finally, we address the current challenges and perspectives for the widespread utilization of nanozyme-based disease diagnostics.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.352-359
• /
• 2020

Inorganic nanoparticles have been actively applied to the bio-medical field by utilizing their physical properties derived from the nanometer size regime, such as optical and magnetic properties. In recent years, diagnostic detection methods have been developed by employing chemical activity, particularly enzyme-mimetic activities, as well as physical properties of inorganic nanoparticles. After the initial study of verifying the enzyme-mimetic activities, the scope of research has been expanded to the direct use of therapeutic effects with active control of activity through understanding of the catalytic mechanism. This review summarizes recent research works on the active control of the enzyme-mimetic activities and newly demonstrated applications on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, focusing on inorganic nanoparticles, so-called "nanozyme". It is expected that the enzyme-mimetic activity of inorganic nanoparticles will be combined with their inherent physical properties, leading to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic methods.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.41 no.6
• /
• pp.228-234
• /
• 2020

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. SPIONs are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as contrast agents and targeted delivery in nanomedicine using external magnet sources. SPIONs act as an artificial peroxidase (i.e., nanozyme), and these reactions were highly stable in various pH conditions and temperatures. In this study, we report a nanozyme ability of the clustered SPIONs (CSPIONs) synthesized by the oil-in-water (O/W) method and coated with biocompatible poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). We hypothesize that the CSPIONs can have high sensitivity toward H2O2 derived from the reaction between a fixed amount of glucose and glucose oxidase (GOX). As a result, CSPIONs oxidized a 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) commonly used as a substrate for hydrogen peroxidase in the presence of H2O2, leading to a change in the color of the substrate. We also utilized a colorimetric assay at 417 nm using various glucose concentrations from 5 mM to 1.25 μM to validate β-D-glucose detection. This study demonstrated that the absorbance value increases along with increasing the glucose level. The results were highly repeated at concentrations below 5 mM (all standard deviations < 0.03). Moreover, the sensitivity and limit of detection were 1.50 and 5.44 μM, respectively, in which CSPIONs are more responsive to glucose than SPIONs. In conclusion, this study suggests that CSPIONs have the potential to be used for glucose detection in diabetic patients using a physiological fluid such as ocular, saliva, and urine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.263-267
• /
• 2022

The aim of this study was to determine whether the antibacterial activity of chitosan-modified Fe₃O₄ (CS@Fe₃O₄) nanomaterials against Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is mediated through changes in biofilm formation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. For this purpose, the broth dilution method was used to examine the effect of CS@Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on bacterial growth. The effects of CS@Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on biofilm formation were measured using a semi-quantitative crystal violet staining assay. In addition, a bacterial ROS detection kit was used to detect the production of ROS in bacteria. The results showed that CS@Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles had a significant inhibitory effect on the colony growth and biofilm formation of drug-resistant A. baumannii (p < 0.05). The ROS stress assay revealed significantly higher ROS levels in A. baumannii subjected to CS@Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle treatment than the control group (p < 0.05). Thus, we demonstrated for the first time that CS@Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles had an inhibitory effect on A. baumannii in vitro, and that the antibacterial effect of CS@Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on drug-resistant A. baumannii was more significant than on drug-sensitive bacteria. Our findings suggest that the antibacterial mechanism of CS@Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles is mediated through inhibition of biofilm formation in drug-resistant bacteria, as well as stimulation of A. baumannii to produce ROS. In summary, our data indicate that CS@Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles could be used to treat infections caused by drug-resistant A. baumannii.