Artificial enzyme mimics the natural detoxification mechanism in liver cells

Mode of action of molybdenum oxide nanoparticles: (a) treatment of sulfite oxidase deficient liver cells; (b) mitochondria are directly targeted, nanoparticles accumulate in proximity to the membrane; (c) sulfite is oxidized to cellular innocuous sulfate.

Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany have discovered that molybdenum trioxide nanoparticles oxidize sulfite to sulfate in liver cells in analogy to the enzyme sulfite oxidase. The functionalized Molybdenum trioxide nanoparticles can cross the cellular membrane and accumulate at the mitochondria, where they can recover the activity of sulfite oxidase.

Sulfite oxidase is a molybdenum containing enzyme located in the mitochondria of liver and kidney cells, which catalyzes the oxidation of sulfite to sulfate during the protein and lipid metabolism and therefore plays an important role in cellular detoxification processes. A lack of functional sulfite oxidase is a rare but fatal genetic disease causing neurological disorders, mental retardation, physical deformities as well as…