Gastrointestinal synthetic epithelial linings

Abstract

Epithelial tissuesline the organs of the body, providing an initial protective barrieras well as a surface for nutrient and drug absorption. Here we identifiedenzymatic components present in the gastrointestinal epithelium that canserve as selective means for tissue-directed polymerization. We focusedon the small intestine, given its role in drug and nutrient absorption, and identified catalase as an essential enzyme with the potential to catalyze polymerization and growth of synthetic biomaterial layers. We demonstrated that the olymerization of dopamine by catalase yieldsstrong tissueadhesion. We characterizedthe mechanism and specificity of the polymerization in segments of the gastrointestinal tracts of pigs and human sex vivo. Moreover, we demonstrated proof-of-concept for application of these gastrointestinal synthetic epithelial linings(GSELs)for drug delivery, enzymatic immobilizationfor digestive supplementation, and nutritional modulation through transient barrier formationin pigs.This catalase-based approach to insitu biomaterial generationmay have broad indicationsfor gastrointestinal applications.