title: The Phe-Phe Motif for Peptide Self-Assembly in Nanomedicine.
abstract: Since its discovery, the Phe-Phe motif has gained in popularity as a minimalist building block to drive the self-assembly of short peptides and their analogues into nanostructures and hydrogels. Molecules based on the Phe-Phe motif have found a range of applications in nanomedicine, from drug delivery and biomaterials to new therapeutic paradigms. Here we discuss the various production methods for this class of compounds, and the characterization, nanomorphologies, and application of their self-assembled nanostructures. We include the most recent findings on their remarkable properties, which hold substantial promise for the creation of the next generation nanomedicines.
authors.affiliation: Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, Trieste 34127, Italy. smarchesan@units.it.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchesan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria S.P. Monserrato-Sestu Km. 0.700, Monserrato 09042, Italy. vargiu@dsf.unica.it.
authors.forename: Attilio V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Vargiu
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Manufacturing, Bayview Ave Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia. katie.styan@csiro.au.
authors.forename: Katie E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Styan
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry; D050997:Nanomedicine; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D004337:Drug Carriers; D020100:Hydrogels; D010455:Peptides; C026650:phenylalanylphenylalanine
keywords: diphenylalanine; hydrogels; nanostructures; peptides; self-assembly