Ultrashort Peptide Theranostic Nanoparticles by Microfluidic-Assisted Rapid Solvent Exchange

IEEE Trans Nanobioscience. 2020 Oct;19(4):627-632. doi: 10.1109/TNB.2020.3007103. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Abstract

Ultrashort peptides (USPs), composed of three to seven amino acids, can self-assemble into nanofibers in pure water. Here, using hydrodynamic focusing and a solvent exchange method on a microfluidic setup, we convert these nanofibers into globular nanoparticles with excellent dimensional control and polydispersity. Thanks to USP nanocarriers' structure, different drugs can be loaded. We used Curcumin as a model drug to evaluate the performance of USP nanocarriers as a novel drug delivery vehicle. These nanoparticles can efficiently cross the cell membrane and possess nonlinear optical properties. Therefore, we envisage USP nanoparticles as promising future theranostic nanocarriers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Curcumin / chemistry
  • Curcumin / pharmacokinetics
  • Drug Carriers* / chemistry
  • Drug Carriers* / pharmacokinetics
  • Equipment Design
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Peptides* / chemistry
  • Peptides* / pharmacokinetics
  • Solvents / chemistry
  • Theranostic Nanomedicine* / instrumentation
  • Theranostic Nanomedicine* / methods

Substances

  • Drug Carriers
  • Peptides
  • Solvents
  • Curcumin