Work

Rational design and preclinical evaluation of elastin-like polypeptide micelle nanoparticles for drug delivery

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) micelle nanoparticles have emerged as versatile and tunable platforms for drug delivery across diseases. These bio-inspired and thermo-responsive polymers typically produced recombinantly in E.coli or yeast offer great biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and cost-effective production. Rationally designed amphiphilic diblock ELPs, ELP-drug/polymer/protein conjugates, and ELP-nucleic acid polyplexes can self-assemble into micelle or micelle-like nanoparticles at physiological temperatures. Similar to other nanoparticle drug delivery systems, ELP micelles can load a broad range of drugs, prolong systemic circulation, and enable controlled and sustained drug release. Notably, ELP micelles provide unique advantages for delivering protein and peptide drugs, as their conjugates with ELP can be recombinantly synthesized with a 100% conjugation efficiency, eliminating the need for chemical coupling. In this review, we will discuss the design principles of ELP micelle-based drug delivery systems and summarize their recent applications in cancer therapy and vaccine development.

Source: Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2026.1736210

Authors: Abdulhakim Tofik, Yuwei Zhang, Cassandra Volpe, Jing Wang

Institution: Iowa State University

Language: English

Topic: Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery

Subfield: Biomaterials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801