Harnessing the self-assembly of peptides for the targeted delivery of anti-cancer agents

Abstract

A significant challenge to current cancer drug treatment is mode of delivery, both in terms of efficacy and off-target toxicity to healthy tissues. To overcome this, drug localisation using a range of biocompatible carriers is currently in use or under investigation. One class of these biomaterial carriers that offers a unique prospect for use as drug delivery vectors to tumour sites is hydrogels formed by small molecules. In particular, tissue mimetic self-assembling molecular hydrogels can function either as injectable precursors that gelate in response to tumour-specific markers, or as implants in conjunction with surgical resection or tumour debulking. Their inherent biocompatibility, tu..