Peptides for Specific Intracellular Delivery and Targeting of Nanoparticles: Implications for Developing nanoparticle-mediated Drug Delivery

Abstract

The use of peptides to mediate the delivery and uptake of nanoparticle (NP) materials by mammalian cells has grown significantly over the past 10 years. This area of research has important implications for the development of new therapeutic materials and for the emerging field of NP-mediated drug delivery. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the delivery of various NPs by some of the more commonly employed cellular delivery peptides and discuss important related factors such as NP–peptide bioconjugation, uptake efficiency, intracellular fate and toxicity. We also highlight various demonstrations of therapeutic applications of NP–peptide conjugates where appropriate. The paper concludes with a brief forward-looking perspective discussing what can be expected as this field develops in the coming years.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors acknowledge the CB Directorate/Physical S&T Division (ARO/DTRA), ONR, NRL and the NRL-NSI for financial support. K Boeneman acknowledges an ASEE fellowship and CE Bradburne and K Robertson acknowledge NRC fellowships through the NRL. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.