From enzymes to new biocatalysts: Towards new therapeutic strategies

The variety of uses of enzymes in medicine is potentially immense although, at present, the number of applications is relatively small. This can be mainly explained by the capacity of the body to develop defensive responses to foreign enzymes resulting in their inactivation or removal. In the two last decades, alternative approaches have been proposed to produce new biocatalysts mimicking enzyme activities. The results obtained with abzymes, ribozymes and molecular imprints are presented and discussed in this review.