Back in 1998, Samuel Gellman defined foldamers as non-natural oligomers able to fold into well-defined secondary structures similar to those found in biological macromolecules. In the last two decades, several applications of foldamers in medicinal chemistry have been reported, ranging from antibiotic foldamers able to disrupt bacterial membranes, to cell-penetrating foldamers that behave as cargo molecules, as well as compounds able to modulate protein-protein interactions.
Recently, Hee-Seung Lee introduced the term “foldectures” to indicate a supramolecular assembly (architecture) “with unprecedented topological complexity derived from the rapid and nonequilibrium aqueous phase self-assembly of foldamers.” In theory, foldectures might be designed to mimic biological architectures, including protein quaternary structures or even more complex assemblies like virus capsids or globular proteins.
It is clear that the cutting-edge field of foldamers and foldectures will reveal futuristic applications that may lead to new paradigms in medicinal chemistry and drug design.
As such, this Research Topic welcomes articles dealing with:
a) Synthesis of new non-natural amino acids or nucleotides able to induce a particular secondary structure when included in a peptide or nucleic acid chain
b) Synthesis and/or structural characterization of new foldectures
c) Computational studies on foldamers/foldectures
d) New applications of foldamers or foldectures to modulate biological functions, including (but not limited to):
1. Modulation of protein-protein, protein-nucleic acid, or nucleic acid-nucleic acid interactions
2. Interference of foldamers with pathogens
3. Use of foldamers or foldectures for diagnostics
Back in 1998, Samuel Gellman defined foldamers as non-natural oligomers able to fold into well-defined secondary structures similar to those found in biological macromolecules. In the last two decades, several applications of foldamers in medicinal chemistry have been reported, ranging from antibiotic foldamers able to disrupt bacterial membranes, to cell-penetrating foldamers that behave as cargo molecules, as well as compounds able to modulate protein-protein interactions.
Recently, Hee-Seung Lee introduced the term “foldectures” to indicate a supramolecular assembly (architecture) “with unprecedented topological complexity derived from the rapid and nonequilibrium aqueous phase self-assembly of foldamers.” In theory, foldectures might be designed to mimic biological architectures, including protein quaternary structures or even more complex assemblies like virus capsids or globular proteins.
It is clear that the cutting-edge field of foldamers and foldectures will reveal futuristic applications that may lead to new paradigms in medicinal chemistry and drug design.
As such, this Research Topic welcomes articles dealing with:
a) Synthesis of new non-natural amino acids or nucleotides able to induce a particular secondary structure when included in a peptide or nucleic acid chain
b) Synthesis and/or structural characterization of new foldectures
c) Computational studies on foldamers/foldectures
d) New applications of foldamers or foldectures to modulate biological functions, including (but not limited to):
1. Modulation of protein-protein, protein-nucleic acid, or nucleic acid-nucleic acid interactions
2. Interference of foldamers with pathogens
3. Use of foldamers or foldectures for diagnostics
