DendriPep Nanocoats: Substrate-Agnostic, Self-Assembling Constructs with Shear-Controlled Thickness and Permeability

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Dendrimers are branched macromolecules with tunable properties.
• Shear-responsive materials offer dynamic control over assembly and disassembly.
• Encapsulation and controlled release are key challenges in drug delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the self-assembly of hybrid poly(amidoamine)-peptide dendrimers (DendriPeps) into shear-responsive Nanocoats.
• To assess the material-agnostic coating capabilities of DendriPeps on diverse substrates.
• To explore the application of Nanocoats in particle clustering and controlled payload delivery.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of hybrid poly(amidoamine)-peptide dendrimers (DendriPeps).
• Formation and characterization of Nanocoats on various nanoparticles, microgels, and biological entities using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques.
• Evaluation of shear-induced particle clustering and payload release kinetics.

Main Results:

• DendriPeps self-assemble into nanometric-thick, vesicle-like Nanocoats on diverse materials.
• Nanocoat formation and particle clustering are dynamically controlled by shear stress.
• Controlled release of an antibacterial peptide (polymyxin B) from Nanocoat-coated microgels was achieved at specific shear stresses.

Conclusions:

• DendriPep Nanocoats exhibit versatile material-agnostic coating capabilities.
• Shear stress provides a tunable mechanism for controlling Nanocoat assembly, particle aggregation, and payload delivery.
• These reconfigurable DendriPep systems hold promise for advanced biomedical applications utilizing localized shear gradients.