Supramolecular medicine
Guest editors Honggang Cui and Bing Xu introduce the supramolecular medicine issue of Chemical Society Reviews. In a broader context, Supramolecular Medicine can be defined as the supramolecular formulation of diagnostic and therapeutic agents for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.
Self-assembling prodrugs
Covalent modification of therapeutic compounds is a clinically proven strategy to devise prodrugs with enhanced treatment efficacies. Self-assembly of prodrugs expands the functional space of conventional prodrug design, providing a possible pathway to more effective therapies.
Review Article
From supramolecular polymers to multi-component biomaterials
This review features the translation of supramolecular fibers into elastomers and hydrogels for regenerative medicine.
Synthetic polypeptides: from polymer design to supramolecular assembly and biomedical application
This review highlights the recent advances in the chemical design, supramolecular assembly, and biomedical application of synthetic polypeptides from N-carboxyanhydrides.
Molecular engineering solutions for therapeutic peptide delivery
This review discusses self-assembled vehicles as nanoparticles to carry and protect therapeutic peptides through their journeys in the body.
Drug delivery by supramolecular design
Principles rooted in supramolecular chemistry have empowered new and highly functional therapeutics and drug delivery devices. This general approach offers elegant tools rooted in molecular and materials engineered to address the many challenges faced in treating disease.
Spatiotemporal hydrogel biomaterials for regenerative medicine
This review highlights recent efforts in using photochemistry to exert dynamic control over the properties of hydrogel biomaterials.
Implications of peptide assemblies in amyloid diseases
We highlight the role of molecular self-assembly in eliciting the mesoscopic and pathological properties of amyloid proteins. This knowledge is pivotal for the development of theranostics against amyloid diseases.
Peptide supramolecular materials for therapeutics
Supramolecular assembly of peptide-based monomers into nanostructures offers many promising applications in advanced therapies. In this Tutorial Review, we introduce molecular designs to control the structure and potential biological function of supramolecular assemblies.
Advancing porphyrin's biomedical utility via supramolecular chemistry
Enhancing existing porphyrin functionality and introducing new capabilities via supramolecular chemistry.
Guanidinium-based “molecular glues” for modulation of biomolecular functions
This tutorial review highlights “molecular glues” designed for manipulation of biomolecular assemblies, drug delivery systems, and modulation of biomolecular functions.
Supramolecular catalysis and dynamic assemblies for medicine
This review provides new insights into supramolecular catalysis and dynamic regulation of molecular assemblies for biomedical applications.
About this collection
We are pleased to present our Chemical Society Reviews themed issue on supramolecular medicine. Guest edited by Professor Honggang Cui (Johns Hopkins University, USA) and Professor Bing Xu (University of Pennsylvania, USA), this issue aims to provide an overview of recent developments in the expanding field of supramolecular medicine, an area focusing on the utilization of supramolecular structures to address emerging issues in healthcare. This themed issue in supramolecular medicine brings together leading experts working on supramolecular chemistry, biomaterials, molecular engineering, and pharmaceutical sciences, to review the recent progress in utilizing supramolecular nanostructures and materials to address emergent issues in health and disease, and to share their visions for future research directions in supramolecular design, non-covalent synthesis, biomaterial fabrication, and important medical applications.