Poly(α-l-lysine)-based nanomaterials for versatile biomedical applications: Current advances and perspectives

Maochao Zheng; Miao Pan; Wancong Zhang; Huanchang Lin; Shenlang Wu; Chao Lu; Shijie Tang; Daojun Liu; Jianfeng Cai

doi:10.1016/j.bioactmat.2020.12.001

Poly(α-l-lysine)-based nanomaterials for versatile biomedical applications: Current advances and perspectives

Bioact Mater. 2020 Dec 13;6(7):1878-1909. doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2020.12.001. eCollection 2021 Jul.

Authors

Maochao Zheng¹, Miao Pan¹, Wancong Zhang², Huanchang Lin¹, Shenlang Wu¹, Chao Lu³, Shijie Tang², Daojun Liu¹, Jianfeng Cai⁴

Affiliations

¹ Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, China.
² The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, 69 Dongxiabei Road, Shantou, 515041, China.
³ College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA.

Abstract

Poly(α-l-lysine) (PLL) is a class of water-soluble, cationic biopolymer composed of α-l-lysine structural units. The previous decade witnessed tremendous progress in the synthesis and biomedical applications of PLL and its composites. PLL-based polymers and copolymers, till date, have been extensively explored in the contexts such as antibacterial agents, gene/drug/protein delivery systems, bio-sensing, bio-imaging, and tissue engineering. This review aims to summarize the recent advances in PLL-based nanomaterials in these biomedical fields over the last decade. The review first describes the synthesis of PLL and its derivatives, followed by the main text of their recent biomedical applications and translational studies. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of PLL-based nanomaterials in biomedical fields are addressed.

Keywords: Antimicrobial agents; Bio-imaging; Bio-sensing; Delivery systems; Poly(α-l-lysine).

Publication types

Review