KAUST scientists have built a nanoscale drug factory that carries six proteins into living cells to make violacein.
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology announced the study from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on May 14.
The work was published in Advanced Materials. The paper describes multi-enzyme nanoreactors made with porous metal-organic frameworks.
The six proteins stayed active inside mammalian cells. They then changed cell-supplied material into violacein, the study said.
KAUST said violacein is a natural bioactive compound. Researchers are studying it for possible medical use.
Raik Grunberg, a senior research scientist at KAUST, called the work a full protein system inside human cells.
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Niveen Khashab, a KAUST chemistry professor, said the team used a more porous frame after older materials reduced protein activity.
The platform remains at an early stage the team plans animal tests before any clinical use.
The researchers plan to test the system in animal models as they assess its therapeutic potential, KAUST said.
