AUTHOR=Jiang Tianyue , Liu Chendan , Xu Xiao , He Bingfang , Mo Ran TITLE=Formation Mechanism and Biomedical Applications of Protease-Manipulated Peptide Assemblies JOURNAL=Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology VOLUME=9 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2021.598050 DOI=10.3389/fbioe.2021.598050 ISSN=2296-4185 ABSTRACT=

Exploiting enzyme-catalyzed reactions to manipulate molecular assembly has been considered as an attractive bottom-up nanofabrication approach to developing a variety of nano-, micro-, and macroscale structures. Upon enzymatic catalysis, peptides and their derivatives transform to assemblable building blocks that form ordered architecture by non-covalent interactions. The peptide assemblies with unique characteristics have great potential for applications in bionanotechnology and biomedicine. In this mini review, we describe typical mechanisms of the protease-instructed peptide assembly via bond-cleaving or bond-forming reactions, and outline biomedical applications of the peptide assemblies, such as drug depot, sustained release, controlled release, gelation-regulated cytotoxicity, and matrix construction.