title: Delivery of therapeutics and molecules using self-assembled peptides.
abstract: The use of nanobiotechnology in the formulation of drug carriers has been gaining popularity in recent years. Peptide self-assembly technology is a particularly attractive option due to its simplicity and programmability. Selfassembling peptide amphiphiles are surfactant-like molecules that are capable of spontaneous organization into a variety of nanostructures. The structural and functional features of these nanostructures can be designed through alterations to the peptide sequence. With a keen understanding of the supramolecular principles governing the non-covalent interactions involved, drug loading strategies can be customised. Hydrophobic drugs can be hidden within the core via aromatic interactions while gene-based therapeutics can be complexed with a cationic region of lysine residues. This review article focuses on the application of self-assembling peptide amphiphiles to drug delivery in the area of anti-cancer therapeutics, protein- and peptide-based therapeutics and nucleic acid-based therapeutics. Specific examples are used to discuss the various systems available and emphasis is given to the encapsulation and release mechanism.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sundar
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore 117576. chetyw@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Tong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D004337:Drug Carriers; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins