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Self-Assembly of Gamma-Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids into Complex Nanostructures in Organic Solvent Mixtures
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pH-Triggered nanostructural transformations in antimicrobial peptide/oleic acid self-assemblies.
Mark Gontsarik1, Mahsa Mohammadtaheri, Anan Yaghmur
1Laboratory for Biointerfaces, Department Materials meet Life, Empa Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014, St Gallen, Switzerland. stefan.salentinig@empa.ch stefan.salentinig@gmail.com.
Biomaterials Science
|February 1, 2018
Summary
Researchers developed pH-sensitive nanocarriers using oleic acid and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for improved drug delivery. These nanobiointerfaces protect AMPs from degradation and show tunable structures based on pH and peptide concentration.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
Background:
- Delivery of poorly water-soluble antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) faces challenges due to their sensitivity to degradation.
- Developing effective delivery systems is crucial for enhancing AMP therapeutic efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and characterize a novel pH-sensitive nanocarrier for the delivery and protection of AMPs.
- To investigate the self-assembly of oleic acid (OA) with human cathelicidin LL-37 and its structural response to pH variations.
Main Methods:
- Synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)
- Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM)
- Dynamic light scattering (DLS)
Main Results:
- Colloidal transformations from emulsions to cubosomes, hexosomes, and vesicles were observed with increasing pH (6.0 to 8.0) at 10 wt% LL-37.
- Higher LL-37 content (30 wt%) favored the formation of micelles and vesicles.
- pH-induced charge repulsions on OA modified nanostructure, particularly around pH 7.5.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates the formation of tunable, pH-responsive nanobiointerfaces for AMP delivery.
- These findings provide insights for designing advanced antimicrobial systems, especially for poorly water-soluble AMPs.
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