Short peptide self-assembled nanostructures for therapeutics innovative delivery

Self-assembly of peptides into nanostructured materials and hydrogels is rising as an innovative approach for the delivery of therapeutics. In particular, short peptides are especially attractive due to their low-cost of preparation, ease of scale-up, and possibility to be accessed by different means, including liquid-phase synthesis, and biocatalysis. Their self-assembly into nanostructures can be used for drug delivery in many diverse and innovative ways, depending on the intended application and desired drug release profile. Drugs can be physically entrapped in hydrogels, or they can participate actively in the nanostructure self-assembly through noncovalent interactions, or they can be covalently bound to self-assembling peptide motifs. These innovative approaches also allow for other added benefits, such as enhancement of drug selectivity. Clearly, as the field progresses rapidly toward smart nanostructured materials capable of responding to different stimuli (e.g., light, ultrasounds, and so on), new avenues for the delivery of therapeutics will become accessible to revolutionize the landscape of medicinal chemistry.