Nanotechnology approaches play an important role in developing novel and efficient carriers for biomedical applications. Peptides are particularly appealing to generate such nanocarriers because they can be rationally designed to serve as building blocks for self-assembling nanoscale structures with great potential as therapeutic or diagnostic delivery vehicles. In this review, we describe peptide-based nanoassemblies and highlight features that make them particularly attractive for the delivery of nucleic acids to host cells or improve the specificity and sensitivity of probes in diagnostic imaging. We outline the current state in the design of peptides and peptide-conjugates and the paradigms of their self-assembly into well-defined nanostructures, as well as the co-assembly of nucleic acids to form less structured nanoparticles. Various recent examples of engineered peptides and peptide-conjugates promoting self-assembly and providing the structures with wanted functionalities are presented. The advantages of peptides are not only their biocompatibility and biodegradability, but the possibility of sheer limitless combinations and modifications of amino acid residues to induce the assembly of modular, multiplexed delivery systems. Moreover, functions that nature encoded in peptides, such as their ability to target molecular recognition sites, can be emulated repeatedly in nanoassemblies. Finally, we present recent examples where self-assembled peptide-based assemblies with “smart” activity are used in vivo. Gene delivery and diagnostic imaging in mouse tumor models exemplify the great potential of peptide nanoassemblies for future clinical applications.

Considerable adverse side effects and cytotoxicity of highly potent drugs for healthy tissue require the development of novel drug delivery systems to improve pharmacokinetics and result in selective distribution of the loaded agent. The introduction of targeted liposomal formulations has provided potential solutions for improved drug delivery to cancer cells, penetrating delivery through blood-brain barrier and gene therapy. A large number of investigations have been developed over the past few decades to overcome pharmacokinetics and unfavorable side effects limitations. These improvements have enabled targeted liposome to meet criteria for successful and improved potent drug targeting. Promising in vitro and in vivo results for liposomal-directed delivery systems appear to be effective for vast variety of highly potent therapeutics. This review will focus on the past decade's potential use and study of highly potent drugs using targeted liposomes.

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To overcome the low efficiency and cytotoxicity associated with most non-viral DNA delivery systems we developed a purely peptidic self-assembling system that is able to entrap single- and double-stranded DNA of up to 100 nucleotides in length.