Supramolecular Nanomedicine - An Overview

Abstract

Supramolecular chemistry enabling molecules and molecular complexes binding through non-covalent bonds allows nanomedicines to serve their desirable function to deliver drugs at the right time and the right place with minimal invasiveness. Supramolecular nanomedicine is the application of nanosupramolecules to the human health and disease and its main applications include diagnosis and therapy, drug and gene delivery, and tissue engineering. Nanoparticles with different structures obtained by assembling supraamphiphiles are promising candidates for multifunctional therapeutic platforms combining imaging and therapeutic capabilities. Encapsulation in supramolecular nanocarriers such as polymeric micelles, polymeric vesciles, layer-by-layer assembly, and porphysomes has the potential to deliver imaging and therapeutic drugs to the sites of action in the body. Hybrid supramolecular nanostructures of organic and inorganic molecules show promising potential in nanomedicine. Research is progressing towards rapid development on supramolecular nanotheranostic devices. Moreover, supramolecular nanoparticles exhibit low-toxicity, low-immunogenicity, nonpathogenicity, and in vivo degradability.