Work

Impact of Amphiphilic Balance on Nano–Bio Interactions of Peptide Amphiphile Nanostructures

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Self-assembled peptide amphiphile (PA)-based nanostructures are promising biomaterials with their biocompatibility and highly tunable physical and chemical properties. Despite this promise, the interactions of PA nanostructures with biological systems have remained largely unexplored. Here, we investigate nano-bio interactions of self-assembled PA nanostructures using a series of PAs with varying amphiphilicities, achieved by tuning the hydrophilicity of the peptide backbone and payloads attached to them. We show that, while PAs with hydrophilic peptide backbones and payloads mostly disassembled in blood plasma, increasing overall hydrophobicity improved their stability. We also report that disassembled PAs can bind to blood biomolecules and binding shifted from albumin to lipoproteins with increasing hydrophobicity. In addition, we show that the membrane-binding affinity of PAs increases with increasing PA hydrophobicity, which also induces membrane disruption and cytotoxicity. The results of this study highlight the critical role of the overall amphiphilic balance of PAs on their interactions with biological molecules and cell membranes.

Source: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6c09708

Authors: Karla Bonic, Kailin Mooney, Li Xiang, Sadik Esener, Adem Yildirim

Institution: Oregon Health & Science University

Language: English

Topic: Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials

Subfield: Biomaterials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,500

Funders: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University