Immunoengineering with Supramolecular Peptide Biomaterials

Abstract

The versatility of supramolecular design in creating biomaterials and drug delivery devices for applications in medicine has gained considerable traction in recent years. The design of peptide-based self-assembling materials is one example of a highly useful and biomimetic approach to the generation of supramolecular biomaterials. One exciting area where designed supramolecular biomaterials created from peptides have demonstrated promise is in the field of immunoengineering. Specifically, peptide-based biomaterials have been used in several different contexts to modify the host immune system through the controlled release of active signaling proteins, pharmaceutical agents, or gasotransmitters. In a separate approach, this class of materials has emerged as a powerful immune-modulating strategy that can enlist the adaptive immune system in mounting a cellular or humoral immune response to a presented epitope or antigen. The ease with which these materials are synthesized, their alignment with injection-based procedures, their low toxicity, and their rapid biodegradation make these useful materials for application in immunoengineering.