About this Research Topic

Background

Programmed self-assembly and self-organization of carefully designed molecular monomers has been widely explored to engineer stable nanostructures with the desired architecture and unique functionality. This bottom-up approach could not only overcome design barriers associated with traditional molecular manufacturing at the nanoscale, but it could also endow the desired assemblies with adaptability, tunability, and stimuli-responsiveness due to the dynamic nature of the non-covalent interactions holding the architecture together. Therefore, self-assembled systems have been developed and widely explored in drug delivery, biomedical engineering, medicine, diagnostics, and applications. This body of work has led to the emergence of the field of supramolecular nanomedicine, which is the focus of this Research Topic. Moreover, from a fundamental point of view, the investigation and applications of such dynamic systems could advance our understanding of the design and function of complex chemical and biological systems.

Self-assembled systems based on small molecules, block copolymers, dendrimers, and amphiphiles have been successfully synthesized to achieve a biological, medical, delivery, and/or sensing function(s). Some of these assemblies were designed to be responsive to stimuli such as ultrasound, light, pH, temperature, or specific reagents. Because of their design features and current applications, these supramolecular nanosystems belong to the new and very active field of supramolecular nanomedicine. The main aim of thisResearch Topic is to provide scientists, engineers and clinicians with a venue to better define this field through the publication of original papers or timely reviews covering synthetically accessible and chemically tunable self-assembled nanosystems endowed with a pharmaceutical, medical, biological, or diagnostic function. Solid- or liquid-state, as well as solid/liquid or gas/liquid dispersion nanomaterials are encouraged.

Potential contributors will be encouraged to submit Original Research or Review articles in any of the following areas:
• Design, synthesis, formulation, characterization, delivery, pharmacokinetics, and/or biological evaluation of nanomaterials for applications in pharmaceutical sciences, medicine, biomedical engineering, and/or theranostics
• Nanomaterials structure vs. function properties
• Supramolecular nanomaterials for biomedical applications
• Supramolecular nanomaterials for the development of biosensors or bioreactors
• Innovative nanomaterials for cancer diagnosis and/or treatment
• Drug encapsulation, bioavailability and sustained release enhancement
• Stimuli-responsive nanomaterials for medical applications
• Nanomaterials functionalization to reduce opsonization and/or improve targeting
• Bioinspired nanomaterials and tissue engineering

Keywords: supramolecular nanomaterial, cancer therapy, tissue engineering, biosensor, bioreactor

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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