The design and synthesis of a photo-controlled, peptide-based potential drug carrier

Our focus in this study is on the design and synthesis of a light-responsive peptide-based nanocarrier in order to develop effective and biocompatible drug delivery systems. The synthesized nanocarrier is basically composed of peptide amphiphiles comprising a micelle forming a Pro-Pro-Pro-Lys-Lys-Lys peptide sequence with an attached anthracene fluorophore. Anthracene containing an inner core of the micelle can serve as a storage site for poorly water-soluble drugs. Moreover, anthracenes that come in close proximity with the formation of micellar structures can undergo photodimerization upon irradiation at 365 nm, which disrupts the micelle structures formed by the self-assembly of the peptide amphiphiles. Therefore, if a drug is encapsulated within the hydrophobic core of this peptidic carrier system, its release can be induced by the controlled exposure of the anthracene moiety to UV light.