DRUG-DELIVERY STUDIES IN CACO-2 MONOLAYERS - 6 - STUDIES OF ENZYME SUBSTITUTION THERAPY FOR PHENYLKETONURIA - A NEW APPLICATION OF CACO-2 MONOLAYERS

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) which is an enzyme capable of conver ting L-phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid has been shown to be able to minimize the amount of L-phenylalanine transported across Caco-2 mo nolayers when administered apically. The impact of this is that a form ulation of PAL, able to lower the transport of L-phenylalanine across epithelia, potentially could be applied in the oral treatment of pheny lketonuria. Confluent monolayers of Caco-2 cells were shown to simplif y the studying of the simultaneous events of conversion and transport across an epithelial barrier. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.