Artificial cells from microfluidic electrospray for reactive oxygen species scavenging

Excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) are closely related to many diseases, and the removal of ROS is a crucial strategy for facilitating clinical treatment. Herein, inspired by the multicompartment and the ROS-eliminating pathway within cells, an artificial cell containing enzymatic inverse opal hydrogel particles (IOHPs) for ROS scavenging is presented. The IOHPs with different colors are integrated into the prepared artificial cells through a microfluidic electrospray platform. Benefiting from the structural color marks of the IOHPs and the fluid manipulability of the microfluidic electrospray technique, the composited artificial cells with tunable numbers and types of encapsulated enzymes were developed. The resultant artificial cells displayed excellent capability in scavenging ROS, and when they were used for the treatment of culture medium, they could protect the cells from ROS-related damage. These features indicate that such biomimetic microcapsules with artificial cell structures can be a powerful therapeutic tool for the treatment of ROS-related diseases.