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Directed Assembly of Elastin-like Proteins into defined Supramolecular Structures and Cargo Encapsulation In Vitro
Published on: April 8, 2020
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Programmable next-generation supramolecular self-assembled materials as drug delivery systems
Hongwei Fu1,2, Weihao Gao2,3, Yixuan Tang2,3
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, PR China.
Bioactive Materials
|February 12, 2026
Summary
Next-generation supramolecular self-assembled materials (SAMs) offer programmable, multifunctional drug delivery systems (DDSs). This review details their design, applications, and future potential for enhanced disease treatment.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Supramolecular self-assembly (SA) drives biological complexity and inspires biomimetic drug delivery systems (DDSs) like liposomes and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).
- Current nanomedicines face challenges in drug stability, targeted delivery, biological barrier penetration, and intracellular release.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive analysis of supramolecular self-assembled materials (SAMs) for advanced DDS applications.
- To define the characteristics and innovative design guidelines for next-generation SAMs, emphasizing programmability.
Main Methods:
- Review of supramolecular self-assembly mechanisms and historical development of SAMs.
- Analysis of design strategies for highly programmable, size/morphology-controlled, and multifunctional SAMs.
- Discussion of recent applications of SAMs in disease treatment.
Main Results:
- Next-generation SAMs are characterized by high programmability, enabling precise control over size, morphology, and functionality.
- Innovative design guidelines facilitate the creation of advanced SAMs for drug delivery.
- SAMs show significant progress in treating various diseases.
Conclusions:
- Rational design of programmable SAMs is crucial for overcoming current DDS limitations.
- Future strategies focus on enhancing clinical applications of SAM-based DDSs for improved human health.
- Continued research into SAMs promises to revolutionize drug delivery and disease therapeutics.
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