Intracellular self-assembly of supramolecular gelators to selectively kill cells of interest

Abstract

The significant progress in supramolecular chemistry since the end of last century includes the development of supramolecular gels. In particular, the spatiotemporal self-assembly of synthetic small gelator molecules has attracted increasing attention owing to their ability to achieve certain functional properties in a designated space at a designated time. Peptides conjugated with hydrophobic moieties are typical examples of supramolecular gelators (low molecular weight gelators, LMWGs), which can be designed or programmed to self-assemble to form nanofibers/nanosheets in response to a broad range of stimuli or microenvironments. In the last decade, several groups have reported that the self-assembly of small gelator molecules achieved inside living cells or on the surfaces of living cells induced selective cell death, which would lead to a novel therapeutic approach or a novel cell selection tool. This focused review outlines the self-assembly of small gelator molecules inside living cells that control cell fate. Peptides conjugated with hydrophobic moieties are typical examples of supramolecular gelators (low molecular weight gelators, LMWGs), which can be designed or programmed to self-assemble to form nanofibers/nanosheets in response to stimuli or microenvironments. In the last decade, several groups have reported that the self-assembly of small gelator molecules achieved inside living cells or on the surfaces of living cells induced selective cell death. This focused review outlines the self-assembly of small gelator molecules inside or around living cells that control cell fate.