Dipeptide nanotubes for biomedical applications

The key findings of this work highlight that mammalian cells tolerate relatively high concentrations of the peptide nanotubes, which were also able to efficiently load sodium fluorescein, a small hydrophilic tracer molecule. The drug release profiles revealed that for future applications the burst release from the nanotubes would need to be modified to achieve a satisfactory sustained release profile. The final highlight was the significant activity of the NH₂-FF-COOH and NH₂-ff-COOH analogues against Gram-positive bacteria, which also extended to biofilm forms of the bacteria, which had not previously been investigated at the time of publishing.

In summary, this work demonstrates the great potential of peptide nanotubes in biomedical applications, with future work possibly involving the repurposing and delivery of existing drugs.<br><i><br>Thesis embargoed until 31 December 2026</i>.