Amino Acid-based Self-Assembled Supramolecular Structures: From Pathological Implications to Biomedical Applications.

Abstract

Self-assembly is defined as a spontaneous ordering of molecules into distinct supramolecular structures similar to the naturally occurring biomolecules such as DNA, lipids and proteins. Interestingly, this strategy has gained huge importance in recent decades, leading to substantial advancements in the biomedical field, including drug delivery, biosensing, tissue engineering, etc. The unique role of "FF" moiety in promoting self-aggregation in larger proteins is well established owing to its frequent occurrence in amyloids. This finding came as a breakthrough in peptide nanotechnology research leading to the exploration of various peptide-based supramolecular structures demonstrating exceptional functional roles with futuristic applications. In this regard, since amino acids are the building blocks of peptides, the detailed investigation and discussion regarding their self-assembly behavior are expected to provide important insights into designing advanced functional materials from amino acids and peptides. This review provides a systematic overview of various latest findings on amino-acid-based self-assembly and its pathological as well as functional role. The review also highlights the importance of emerging applications from self-assembled amino-acid-based nanomaterials in the field of material science and biomedicine.