POS8-0966
Lactate Oxidase-Coated Nanorobots for Autonomous Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Topic
S8. Frontiers of Functional Polymers in Biology and Medicine
When and Where
Oct 1, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Jinkee HONG
Ki Su KIM
Presenter(s)
Hye Hyun Kim (Hanyang University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), encompassing ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder. Current pharmacotherapies, including aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and biologics, are associated with systemic side effects such as renal impairment, increased infection risk, osteoporosis, hepatotoxicity, and in some cases cardiovascular complications and malignancy, which can affect treatment adherence and patient quality of life. Here, a biomarker-responsive therapeutic strategy is examined, based on autonomously activated microrobots that respond to elevated lactate levels, in gastrointestinal fluids, a marker associated with local inflammation. These microrobots are coated with lactate oxidase, which enzymatically reduces excess lactate at inflamed mucosal sites while remaining active within the gastrointestinal environment. In contrast to targeted delivery systems that rely on external imaging or stimulation such as magnetic fields or ultrasound, this platform responds directly to local biochemical cues without external intervention, which may help confine therapeutic activity to affected regions and limit systemic drug exposure. This biomarker-driven, self-regulating approach is presented as an approach toward more targeted management of IBD that may address some limitations of existing pharmacological strategies.
