In a recent article in the Journal of the American Chemical Society a team of scientists including Project Scientist Yu Hoshino and Professor Ken Shea of the Department of Chemistry and Professor Naoto Oku and his team in the Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Shizuoka, Japan report the first study using synthetic polymer nanoparticles (plastic antibodies) to capture a peptide toxin in the bloodstream of living mice. The results demonstrate that the synthetic nanoparticles recognize, capture and neutralize peptide toxins in vivo without being inactivated by plasma proteins and/or blood cells. In vivo imaging establishes the NPs accelerate clearance of the peptide from blood where they accumulate in the liver. Coupled with their biocompatibility and nontoxic characteristics, plastic antibodies have significant potential for neutralizing a wide range of biomacromolecules in vivo.