Medical Application of Enzymes

M. Chaplin, Medical Application of Enzymes. South Bank University, London, 2002. 

Table 2. A selection of technical and medical applications of enzymes.

The applications of enzymes can be classified into three major categories industrial enzymes, analytical enzymes, and medical enzymes. In this chapter, we review several industrial processes, utilizing industrial enzymes such as starch conversion and enzymatic hydrolysis of celluloses. Before we discuss the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch and cellulose, we review the organic chemistry of carbohydrates. 

This chapter is divided into two sections. Section 6.1 is concerned with applications of Raman spectroscopy to biochemistry. Related topics to this section are found in Section 3.3.3 of Chapter 3 (SER spectra of dipeptides) and Section 4.1.2 of Chapter 4 (Raman (RR) spectra of peptides, proteins, porphyrins, enzymes and nucleic acids), Section 6.2 describes medical applications of Raman spectroscopy as analytical and diagnostic tools. In contrast to biochemical samples discussed in the former section, medical samples in the latter section contain a number of components such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids, etc. Thus, Raman spectra of medical samples are much more complex and must be interpreted with caution. 

The most relevant fields of practical application of enzyme electrodes are medical diagnostics, followed by process control, food analysis, and environmental monitoring. 

Volume 36 of Methods of Biochemical Analysis focuses on the bioanalytical applications of enzymes. Because enzymes facilitate rapid and highly specific molecular transformations under mild conditions, this class of protein has become increasingly important in analysis, synthesis, manufacturing, and medical diagnosis. 

The most important and most studied applications of enzyme biosensors are to detect and monitor blood glucose, followed by lactate, because of the medical applications of such sensors. Thus, by initially detailing the development of glucose biosensors we can better understand and trace the general development of enzyme biosensors containing polymeric electron transfer systems. 

Gregoriadis, G., Medical applications of liposome-entrapped enzymes. Methods Enzymol. 44, 698-709 (1976). 

In this series of books, the importance of oxidative stress in diseases associated with organ systems of the body is highhghted by exploring the scientific evidence and the medical applications of this knowledge. The series also highhghts the major natnral antioxidant enzymes and antioxidant snbstances such as vitamins E, A, and C, flavonoids, polyphenols, carotenoids, lipoic acid, and other nutrients present in food and beverages. 

The interaction of artificial metal ions/complexes with peptides/proteins [11], nucleic acids/DNA [12,13], enzymes [14], steroids [15] and carbohydrates [16] forms a bridge between natural and artificial macromolecular metal complexes. Biometal-organie chemistry concentrates on such complexes [17]. The reason for the increasing interest in this field lies in medical applications of metal complexes (cancer, photodynamic therapy of cancer, immunoassays, fluorescence markers, enantioselective catalysis, template orientated synthesis of peptides, etc.). Figure 2-4 presents an overview of metals in medicine [18]. Some examples are given below. 

Biotechnological Applications of Proteins and Enzymes is the title of the published proceedings of a conference which covered production of enzymes, exploitation of soluble and insolubilized enzymes, medical applications of proteins and enzymes, and proteins as food. ... 

Table 10.1 gives an overview of different aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters synthesised as degradable materials during the last few years. Part of the work reported in the literature dealt with hydrolytic degradation mechanisms which do not involve enzymic catalysis (chemical hydrolysis). This kind of degradation is often present in medical applications of polyesters, e.g., as implants in living tissues. Enzymic catalysed hydrolysis, in contrast, is usually connected to microbial degradation in the environment. 

---