Abstract
Self-assembled peptides and proteins possess tremendous potential as targeted drug delivery systems and key applications of these well-defined nanostructures reside in anti-cancer therapy. Peptides and proteins can self-assemble into nanostructures of diverse sizes and shapes in response to changing environmental conditions such as pH, temperature, ionic strength, as well as host and guest molecular interactions; their countless benefits include good biocompatibility and high loading capacity for hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. These self-assembled nanomaterials can be adorned with functional moieties to specifically target tumor cells. Stimuli-responsive features can also be incorporated with respect to the tumor microenvironment. This review sheds light on the growing interest in self-assembled peptides and proteins and their burgeoning applications in cancer treatment and immunotherapy.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 101119 |
Journal | Nano Today |
Volume | 38 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2021 |
Keywords
- Cancer therapy
- Drug delivery
- Immunotherapy
- Self-assembled peptides and proteins
- Stimuli-responsive
- Virus-like particles
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biotechnology
- Bioengineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- General Materials Science
- Pharmaceutical Science