Journal Article

Dual-Atom Nanozyme Eye Drops Attenuate Inflammation and Break the Vicious Cycle in Dry Eye Disease

Zhao, Mengyang, Li, Zhanrong, Chu, Dandan, Zhang, Wei, Jhe, Wonho, Rong, Shisong, Cai, Xiaolu, Geng, Xingchen, Zhang, Xingcai, Li, Jingguo, Xiao, Yi

2024

Overview

HighlightsA dual-atom nanozyme (DAN) was successfully prepared based on Fe and Mn bimetallic single-atom embedded in N-doped carbon material and modified with hydrophilic polymer.The DAN possess excellent enzyme catalytic activity and attenuate dramatically inflammation by inhibiting the reactive oxygen species (ROS)/NLRP3 signal axis.The DAN break the vicious cycle in dry eye disease and is a potential strategy for treating dry eye disease.Dry eye disease (DED) is a major ocular pathology worldwide, causing serious ocular discomfort and even visual impairment. The incidence of DED is gradually increasing with the high-frequency use of electronic products. Although inflammation is core cause of the DED vicious cycle, reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a pivotal role in the vicious cycle by regulating inflammation from upstream. Therefore, current therapies merely targeting inflammation show the failure of DED treatment. Here, a novel dual-atom nanozymes (DAN)-based eye drops are developed. The antioxidative DAN is successfully prepared by embedding Fe and Mn bimetallic single-atoms in N-doped carbon material and modifying it with a hydrophilic polymer. The in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate the DAN is endowed with superior biological activity in scavenging excessive ROS, inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation, decreasing proinflammatory cytokines expression, and suppressing cell apoptosis. Consequently, the DAN effectively alleviate ocular inflammation, promote corneal epithelial repair, recover goblet cell density and tear secretion, thus breaking the DED vicious cycle. Our findings open an avenue to make the DAN as an intervention form to DED and ROS-mediated inflammatory diseases.

• Publisher: Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Apoptosis / Bimetals / Biological activity / Carbon / Catalytic activity / Embedding / Eye diseases / Hydrophilicity / Inflammation / Manganese / Oxygen / Polymers / Scavenging