Plastic Meets Biology

02 Science

Our lead program targets PET microplastics with engineered enzymes optimized for human physiology, with an initial focus on cardiometabolic disease

Microplastics like PET are increasingly recognized as bioactive pollutants, not inert bystanders. Once in the bloodstream and tissues, they can disrupt cellular function, drive oxidative stress, impair hormonal signaling, and contribute to chronic inflammation. Their presence has been associated with cardiometabolic disease in addition to endocrine disruption and chronic inflammation, with possible links to cancer under active study. There are currently no approved therapeutics to systemically address PET plastics in the human body.

Elora is developing systemically delivered enzyme therapeutics designed to degrade internal microplastics in vivo. We are starting with PET, given its prevalence and its relevance to metabolic health. Our enzymes are engineered for human physiology, with the goal of maintaining activity in serum at physiological pH and transforming PET into smaller molecules that the body can clear through natural pathways.

Our near-term focus is PET, but as we progress, we plan to expand development to additional high-burden polymers, including PE, PP, and PS. In collaboration with academic and industry partners, we are conducting in vitro validation in human-simulated serum with a focused in vivo mouse study to analyze PET microplastics burden, metabolic biomarkers, safety, and therapeutic response.

This is molecular intervention at the source of synthetic burden. This is science built for a modern, synthetic threat.