The drug loading/releasing capability of glutathione-responsive peptide amphiphile vesicles controlled by positionable disulfide-bridges

Abstract

In anticancer drug delivery system, delivering and releasing the drugs to the target tumor cells is challenging due to systematic toxicity and side effects on normal cells. The self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles (PAs)-based vehicles have garnered attention due to their biocompatibility and a dual loading capability for hydrophilic and hydrophobic payloads. However, controlled stability in physiological media remains a challenge for efficient drug encapsulation and release. Here, the glutathione-responsive drug-releasing vesicles were developed by self-assembly of PA with cysteine which can form disulfide-linkages. The PA vesicles demonstrated different drug loading capacities and releasing efficiencies as functions of the location and number of disulfide-linkage during assembly. This research provide a biocompatible peptide design for the synthesis of efficient drug-delivery vehicles and serve as a solid foundation for further nanocarrier developments for biomedical applications.