Abstract
Nanotechnology approaches play an important role in developing novel and efficient carriers for biomedical applications. Peptides are particularly appealing to generate such nanocarriers because they can be rationally designed to serve as building blocks for self-assembling nanoscale structures with great potential as therapeutic or diagnostic delivery vehicles. In this review, we describe peptide-based nanoassemblies and highlight features that make them particularly attractive for the delivery of nucleic acids to host cells or improve the specificity and sensitivity of probes in diagnostic imaging. We outline the current state in the design of peptides and peptide-conjugates and the paradigms of their self-assembly into well-defined nanostructures, as well as the co-assembly of nucleic acids to form less structured nanoparticles. Various recent examples of engineered peptides and peptide-conjugates promoting self-assembly and providing the structures with wanted functionalities are presented. The advantages of peptides are not only their biocompatibility and biodegradability, but the possibility of sheer limitless combinations and modifications of amino acid residues to induce the assembly of modular, multiplexed delivery systems. Moreover, functions that nature encoded in peptides, such as their ability to target molecular recognition sites, can be emulated repeatedly in nanoassemblies. Finally, we present recent examples where self-assembled peptide-based assemblies with “smart” activity are used in vivo. Gene delivery and diagnostic imaging in mouse tumor models exemplify the great potential of peptide nanoassemblies for future clinical applications.
Highlights
Peptides have several advantages that make them highly attractive building blocks for tailoring nanoassemblies to biomedical applications [1,2,3]
A peptide comprising an RGD recognition motif for targeting integrins (which are highly expressed in renal cell carcinoma (RCC)), a cleavage site for matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2/9, and an NIR moiety (Cy) for signaling, self-assembled to nanofibers in solution (Figure 18) [188]
Focused on peptides they have properties thatinmake them systems, they are inherently biocompatible, vital for elements in vivo applications, (2) they they can suited for these applications: (1) aswhich majorisstructural in all living systems, are inherently biocompatible, which is vital for in vivo applications, (2) they can take on multiple biofunctional roles via different compositions of residues or ensuing conformations, side chain modifications, and conjugates that can be exploited for developing versatile multifunctional nanoassemblies, and (3) can serve as recognition and targeting moieties to mediate binding to specific disease-related markers, which is crucial for diagnostic imaging as well as for targeted gene therapy
Summary
Peptides have several advantages that make them highly attractive building blocks for tailoring nanoassemblies to biomedical applications [1,2,3] In this regard, the side chain properties of amino acids, including hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, charge, and polarity, allow for accomplishing certain functions in biological systems [4]. We will discuss peptide-based assemblies with regard to the advantages they offer for increasing the efficacy of gene delivery in vivo, such as targeting and overcoming different kinds of biological barriers like plasma and endosomal membranes [14]. We describe some recent in vivo examples of diagnostic imaging and gene delivery that reveal the great potential of peptide-based nanoassemblies, for future clinical applications
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