Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).  ROS such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide are overproduced by activated macrophages in RA.  As scavengers of ROS, enzymatic proteins such as catalase and superoxide dismutase have a great therapeutic potential, however, in vivo application is limited especially when they are orally administered.  Although, the oral route is the most convenient for drug administration, therapeutic proteins are easily degraded in vivo by the harsh conditions of gastrointestinal (GI) tract.  Here, we introduce a novel drug delivery system composed of zein, a plant storage protein derived from maize.  We demonstrated that a zein-based drug delivery system protected therapeutic proteins from the harsh condition of GI tract, targeted the activated macrophages, and scavenged the ROS generated by macrophages in vitro.  This novel drug delivery system will be applicable to other orally administered treatments based on the protective property in the harsh condition of GI tract.

Novel oral drug delivery system for inflammatory diseases

245th National Meeting (2013)

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