Natural Peptides/Proteins and Their Applications in Bioengineering

A special issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2024 | Viewed by 949

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY 10029, USA
Interests: protein and peptide drug delivery; monoclonal antibody formulations; advanced biophysical characterization; structural elucidations; nanomedicine; gene delivery; preclinical development; controlled release and long-acting therapies
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Guest Editor
Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY 10029, USA
Interests: monoclonal antibody production and their characterization; genomic modifications of bacteria; yeast and mammalian cells; CRISPR technology; antibody library generation and their therapeutic applications; protein misfolding diseases and their treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In bioengineering, natural peptides and proteins are recognized as essential resources with extensive practical applications. Their significant potential is harnessed across various domains, including bioinspired material development, drug delivery, diagnostics, therapeutics, biocatalysis, enzyme engineering, and biomedical engineering. A key advantage lies in their biodegradability and biocompatibility, making them particularly valuable in advanced biotechnological and bioengineering fields. This Special Issue highlights the wide range of applications and advances resulting from the use of natural peptides and proteins in bioengineering.

Main Themes:

Bioinspired Materials: Investigating the development of biomimetic materials derived from endogenous peptides and proteins, as well as their applications in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and biocompatible implants.

Biomedical Applications: Demonstrating the role of natural peptides and proteins in drug delivery, diagnostics, and therapeutics, presenting their efficacy and potential in combating diseases and enhancing medical treatments.

Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering: Investigating the use of natural enzymes and peptide catalysts in biocatalysis and enzyme engineering to demonstrate their significance in industrial processes and environmental remediation.

Biophysical Characterization and Analysis: Exploring advanced biophysical techniques for characterizing and analyzing the structure, dynamics, and interactions of natural peptides and proteins, offering insights into their behavior and functionality.

Bioinformatics and Molecular Design: Examining bioinformatics computational methods for the design and optimization of novel proteins and peptides, elucidating their structural and functional characteristics for specific uses.

Through this Special Issue, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the diverse applications and potential of natural peptides and proteins in bioengineering. By bringing together cutting-edge research and innovative methodologies, we hope to inspire further exploration and collaboration in harnessing the power of nature's building blocks for the advancement of biotechnology.

Dr. Satish Rojekar
Dr. Anusha Rani Pallapati
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Bioengineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • peptide design
  • protein engineering
  • biomaterial fabrication
  • drug delivery systems
  • tissue regeneration
  • bioengineering
  • biomaterials
  • biomedical application

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

27 pages, 16898 KiB  
Article
αvβ3 Integrin and Folate-Targeted pH-Sensitive Liposomes with Dual Ligand Modification for Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatment
by Prashant Pandey, Dilip Kumar Arya, Payal Deepak, Daoud Ali, Saud Alarifi, Saurabh Srivastava, Afsaneh Lavasanifar and Paruvathanahalli Siddalingam Rajinikanth
Bioengineering 2024, 11(8), 800; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11080800 (registering DOI) - 7 Aug 2024
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Abstract
The advent of pH-sensitive liposomes (pHLips) has opened new opportunities for the improved and targeted delivery of antitumor drugs as well as gene therapeutics. Comprising fusogenic dioleylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) and cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHEMS), these nanosystems harness the acidification in the tumor microenvironment and endosomes [...] Read more.
The advent of pH-sensitive liposomes (pHLips) has opened new opportunities for the improved and targeted delivery of antitumor drugs as well as gene therapeutics. Comprising fusogenic dioleylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) and cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHEMS), these nanosystems harness the acidification in the tumor microenvironment and endosomes to deliver drugs effectively. pH-responsive liposomes that are internalized through endocytosis encounter mildly acidic pH in the endosomes and thereafter fuse or destabilize the endosomal membrane, leading to subsequent cargo release into the cytoplasm. The extracellular tumor matrix also presents a slightly acidic environment that can lead to the enhanced drug release and improved targeting capabilities of the nano-delivery system. Recent studies have shown that folic acid (FA) and iRGD-coated nanocarriers, including pH-sensitive liposomes, can preferentially accumulate and deliver drugs to breast tumors that overexpress folate receptors and αvβ3 and αvβ5 integrins. This study focuses on the development and characterization of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)-loaded FA and iRGD surface-modified pHLips (FA-iRGD-5-FU-pHLips). The novelty of this research lies in the dual targeting mechanism utilizing FA and iRGD peptides, combined with the pH-sensitive properties of the liposomes, to enhance selective targeting and uptake by cancer cells and effective drug release in the acidic tumor environment. The prepared liposomes were small, with an average diameter of 152 ± 3.27 nm, uniform, and unilamellar, demonstrating efficient 5-FU encapsulation (93.1 ± 2.58%). Despite surface functionalization, the liposomes maintained their pH sensitivity and a neutral zeta potential, which also conferred stability and reduced aggregation. Effective pH responsiveness was demonstrated by the observation of enhanced drug release at pH 5.5 compared to physiological pH 7.4. (84.47% versus 46.41% release at pH 5.5 versus pH 7.4, respectively, in 72 h). The formulations exhibited stability for six months and were stable when subjected to simulated biological settings. Blood compatibility and cytotoxicity studies on MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR3 breast cancer cell lines revealed an enhanced cytotoxicity of the liposomal formulation that was modified with FA and iRGD compared to free 5-FU and minimal hemolysis. Collectively, these findings support the potential of FA and iRGD surface-camouflaged, pH-sensitive liposomes as a promising drug delivery strategy for breast cancer treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Peptides/Proteins and Their Applications in Bioengineering)
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