10 - Self-assembling peptides and their application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

Abstract

To design self-assembling peptide-based biomaterials, it is important to understand the fundamental nature of peptide folding that drives the self-assembly and creates a range of diverse structures. Self-assembly can be tailored for specific applications by changing the nature of peptide sequences, while more robust and complex materials with advanced design features are feasible by simple crosslinking with biological macromolecules. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview on supramolecular self-assembly of peptides starting from the elementary nature of common protein and peptide folds to the formation of higher-order organized structures with potential application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.