Exploring Coiled Coil Peptide Fibers as Nanocarriers for Targeted Drug Delivery: A SAXS Study on Levofloxacin Encapsulation

This proposal explores the use of coiled coil peptide fibers for drug encapsulation to enhance drug delivery efficacy. Peptides are well-known for their biocompatibility and biodegradability, and have been exploited for their self-assembling properties to be used in a wide variety of applications such as in medicine. Coiled coils (CC), which are peptide-based alpha helical structures, are known for their stability and their ability to form nanoporous structures in the microscale length. Another advantage of coiled coils is the manipulation of the structure that can be achieved. For example, six CC units can be combined to form a hexameric CC with a hydrophobic cavity inside. This offers a promising platform for nanoencapsulation of other substances such as medicines. Using Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) we can investigate the CC-based fibers under multiple conditions and also explore the ability for drug encapsulation within the hexamer cavity. SAXS allows us to assess the samples in their native aqueous condition which is crucial in this investigation. Additionally, we aim to follow the process of encapsulation with dynamic experiments to assess how these systems can be used in real-life applications. The study will focus on the encapsulation of levofloxacin within these peptide fibers to assess their potential for controlled and targeted drug release. Further, control experiments with 1,6-diphenylhexatriene will also be run. Overall, these results are expected to advance the development of drug delivery systems by utilizing novel biostructures to achieve greater biocompatibility and drug targeting.