Immunoengineering with Supramolecular Peptide Biomaterials

Abstract

The versatility of supramolecular design in creating biomaterials
and drug delivery devices for applications in medicine has gained
considerable traction in recent years. The design of peptide-based
self-assembling materials is one example of a highly useful and biomimetic
approach to the generation of supramolecular biomaterials. One
exciting area where designed supramolecular biomaterials created
from peptides have demonstrated promise is in the field of immunoengineering.
Specifically, peptide-based biomaterials have been used in
several different contexts to modify the host immune system through the
controlled release of active signaling proteins, pharmaceutical agents,
or gasotransmitters. In a separate approach, this class of materials has
emerged as a powerful immune-modulating strategy that can enlist the
adaptive immune system in mounting a cellular or humoral immune
response to a presented epitope or antigen. The ease with which these
materials are synthesized, their alignment with injection-based procedures,
their low toxicity, and their rapid biodegradation make these useful
materials for application in immunoengineering.