Scientists from China and the US have made an artificial enzyme that may provide new hope for the treatment of Lou Gehrig’s disease (a degenerative neuromuscular disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord). In tests, the apoferritin–CeO2 nanocomposite cleared harmful reactive oxygen species – which have been linked to the disease – in living cells better than the natural antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase.
Reference:
Apoferritin-CeO2 nano-truffle that has excellent artificial redox enzyme activity
X Liu, W Wei, Q Yuan, X Zhang, N Li, Y Du, G Ma, C Yan and D Ma, Chem. Commun., 2011
DOI: 10.1039/c1cc15815e
