title: Mechanism Matters: A Taxonomy of Cell Penetrating Peptides.
abstract: The permeability barrier imposed by cellular membranes limits the access of exogenous compounds to the interior of cells. Researchers and patients alike would benefit from efficient methods for intracellular delivery of a wide range of membrane-impermeant molecules, including biochemically active small molecules, imaging agents, peptides, peptide nucleic acids, proteins, RNA, DNA, and nanoparticles. There has been a sustained effort to exploit cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) for the delivery of such useful cargoes in vitro and in vivo because of their biocompatibility, ease of synthesis, and controllable physical chemistry. Here, we discuss the many mechanisms by which CPPs can function, and describe a taxonomy of mechanisms that could be help organize future efforts in the field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: W Berkeley
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Kauffman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fuselier
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. Electronic address: wwimley@tulane.edu.
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wimley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides
keywords: cell penetrating peptide (CPP); cytosolic delivery; membrane translocation; transient permeabilization