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Self-assembly of Cytotoxic Peptide Amphiphiles into Supramolecular Membranes for Cancer Therapy

  1. R. Helen Zha1,
  2. Shantanu Sur2,
  3. Samuel I. Stupp3,4,*

Article first published online: 31 JUL 2012

DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201200118

Issue

Advanced Healthcare Materials

Advanced Healthcare Materials

Special Issue: Future of Nano- and Microscale Materials for Healthcare

Volume 2, Issue 1, pages 126–133, January, 2013

Additional Information

How to Cite

Zha, R. H., Sur, S. and Stupp, S. I. (2013), Self-assembly of Cytotoxic Peptide Amphiphiles into Supramolecular Membranes for Cancer Therapy. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2: 126–133. doi: 10.1002/adhm.201200118

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA

  2. 2

    Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA

  3. 3

    Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA

  4. 4

    Department of Medicine, Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA

*Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 8 JAN 2013
  2. Article first published online: 31 JUL 2012
  3. Manuscript Received: 11 APR 2012
Corrected by:

Correction: Correction: Self-assembly of Cytotoxic Peptide Amphiphiles into Supramolecular Membranes for Cancer Therapy

Vol. 2, Issue 5, 631, Article first published online: 2 MAY 2013

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Keywords:

  • breast cancer;
  • drug delivery;
  • membranes;
  • peptide amphiphiles;
  • self-assembly

Abstract

Peptide amphiphiles (PAs) provide a versatile platform for the design of complex and functional material constructs for biomedical applications. The hierarchical self-assembly of PAs with biopolymers is used to create robust hybrid membranes with molecular order on the micron scale. Fabrication of membranes by assembling hyaluronic acid with positively charged PA nanostructures containing anti-cancer PAs bearing a (KLAKLAK)2 peptide sequence is reported here. Changes in membrane microstructure as the positively charged PA nanostructures vary from cylindrical nanofibers to spherical aggregates are characterized. Results indicate that formation of highly aligned fibrous membranes requires a threshold concentration of nanofibers in solution. Additionally, variation of PA nanostructure morphology from spherical aggregates to cylindrical nanofibers allows membranes to act either as reservoirs for sustained release of cytotoxicity upon enzymatic degradation or as membranes with surface-bound cytotoxicity, respectively. Thus, the self-assembly processes of these PA-biopolymer membranes can be potentially used to design delivery platforms for anti-cancer therapeutics.

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