First degradable polymer developed that detects low levels of hydrogen peroxide

Researchers in the US have developed the first degradable polymer that is capable of detecting low levels of hydrogen peroxide and other reactive oxygen species (ROS).

The study of inflammation is vitally important in the fields of infection, neurodegeneration and others. When a part of the body is inflamed it is the result of the chemical balance within a tissue being disturbed, which leads to the accumulation of  ROS such as hydrogen peroxide, which can cause oxidative stress and associated toxic effects.

ROS plays a key role in cell signalling and the body's defence mechanisms, but can also contribute to and are indicators of many diseases, including cardiovascular dysfunction. Until now there has been no way of detecting measurable, low levels of hydrogen peroxide and other ROS, which would provide a viable way to detect inflammation.

But Adah Almutairi, PhD, associate professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Department of
NanoEngineering, and the Materials Science and Engineering Program at the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues have successfully developed the first degradable polymer that is extremely sensitive to low but biologically relevant concentrations of hydrogen peroxide.

Their research, published in the online issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, documents how the polymeric capsules are taken up by macrophages and neutrophils, which then release their contents when they degrade in the presence of hydrogen peroxide produced by these cells.

Professor Almutairi said: "This is the first example of a biocompatible way to respond to oxidative stress and inflammation.

"Because the capsules are tailored to biodegrade and release their cargo when encountering hydrogen peroxide, they may allow for targeted drug delivery to diseased tissue."

The team will now test this methodin a model of atherosclerosis. If successful, they could provide cardiologists with a non-invasive method to determine which patients are vulnerable to a heart attack caused by ruptured plaque in the arteries before the attack.

Posted by Ben Evans