Hyaluronic‐Acid‐Presenting Self‐Assembled Nanoparticles Transform a Hyaluronidase HYAL1 Substrate into an Efficient and Selective Inhibitor

In this study, an original method of macromolecular design was used to develop a hyaluronidase‐1 (HYAL1) inhibitor from its principal substrate, hyaluronic acid (HA). HA‐based nanoparticles (HA‐NP) were obtained by copolymer self‐assembly and their effects on HYAL1 activity were investigated by combining different analytical tools. Compared to HA, HA‐NP exhibited an enhanced stability against HYAL1 degradation while maintaining its interaction with the HA receptors CD44 and aggrecan. HA‐NP displayed a strong and selective inhibition of HYAL1 activity and retarded the hydrolysis of higher‐molar‐mass HA in solution. A co‐nanoprecipitation process was used to formulate a range of hybrid nanoparticle samples, which demonstrated the specificity and efficiency of HA‐NP in HYAL1 inhibition. What's up, HYAL? Specifically designed hybrid nanoparticles resulting from the self‐assembly of hyaluronic acid b‐poly(γ‐benzyl l‐glutamate) copolymers demonstrate highly efficient and specific hyaluronidase inhibition, overpassing the state‐of‐the‐art standards.