Cholinesterase-responsive supramolecular vesicle.

Enzyme-responsive, amphiphilic self-assembly represents one of the increasingly significant topics in biomaterials research and finds feasible applications to the controlled release of therapeutic agents at specific sites where the target enzyme is located. The supramolecular approach, using "superamphiphiles", provides a smart way to fabricate drug delivery systems responsive to enzymatic catalysis. In this work based on the concept of supramolecular chemistry, we report an enzyme-responsive vesicle using p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene as the macrocyclic host and natural enzyme-cleavable myristoylcholine as the guest molecule. The complexation of p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene with myristoylcholine directs the formation of a supramolecular binary vesicle, which is dissipated by cholinesterase with high specificity and efficiency. Cholinesterase is a key protein overexpressed in Alzheimer's disease, and therefore, the present system may have potential for the delivery of Alzheimer's disease drugs.