Issue 16, 2024

Splittable systems in biomedical applications

Abstract

Splittable systems have emerged as a powerful approach for the precise spatiotemporal control of biological processes. This concept relies on splitting a functional molecule into inactive fragments, which can be reassembled under specific conditions or stimuli to regain activity. Several binding pairs and orthogonal split fragments are introduced by fusing with other modalities to develop more complex and robust designs. One of the pillars of these splittable systems is modularity, which involves decoupling targeting, activation, and effector functions. Challenges, such as off-target effects and overactivation, can be addressed through precise control. This review provides an overview of the design principles, strategies, and applications of splittable systems across diverse fields including immunotherapy, gene editing, prodrug activation, biosensing, and synthetic biology.

Graphical abstract: Splittable systems in biomedical applications

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
22 May 2024
Accepted
07 Jul 2024
First published
16 Jul 2024

Biomater. Sci., 2024,12, 4103-4116

Splittable systems in biomedical applications

S. Yuan, A. Bremmer, X. Yang, J. Li and Q. Hu, Biomater. Sci., 2024, 12, 4103 DOI: 10.1039/D4BM00709C

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