Introduction: Self-assembled nanostructures incorporating anti-cancer drugs are gaining attention in cancer therapy. Peptides, due to their biocompatibility, form hydrogels with tunable properties. This research introduces a design strategy combining chemotherapeutic drugs, biodegradable linkers, self-assembly modulating motifs (SAMMs), and bioactive epitopes for deep tumor penetration. By optimizing SAMMs, we enhanced water solubility, self-assembly, and gelation. The PTX-peptide conjugates showed superior self-assembly, controlled drug release, and improved tissue penetration.
Learning Objectives:
Introduce a novel strategy for enhancing self-assembly by tuning the self-assembly modulating motif.
Demonstrate that PPC SAMM7 exhibits superior self-assembly, gelation, and tumor suppression.
Highlight the potential of PTX-peptide hydrogel as a controlled drug-delivery platform.
