Mechanism matters: a taxonomy of cell penetrating peptides

WB Kauffman, T Fuselier, J He, WC Wimley - Trends in biochemical …, 2015 - cell.com
WB Kauffman, T Fuselier, J He, WC Wimley
Trends in biochemical sciences, 2015cell.com
The permeability barrier imposed by cellular membranes limits the access of exogenous
compounds to the interior of cells. Researchers and patients alike would benefit from
efficient methods for intracellular delivery of a wide range of membrane-impermeant
molecules, including biochemically active small molecules, imaging agents, peptides,
peptide nucleic acids, proteins, RNA, DNA, and nanoparticles. There has been a sustained
effort to exploit cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) for the delivery of such useful cargoes in …
The permeability barrier imposed by cellular membranes limits the access of exogenous compounds to the interior of cells. Researchers and patients alike would benefit from efficient methods for intracellular delivery of a wide range of membrane-impermeant molecules, including biochemically active small molecules, imaging agents, peptides, peptide nucleic acids, proteins, RNA, DNA, and nanoparticles. There has been a sustained effort to exploit cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) for the delivery of such useful cargoes in vitro and in vivo because of their biocompatibility, ease of synthesis, and controllable physical chemistry. Here, we discuss the many mechanisms by which CPPs can function, and describe a taxonomy of mechanisms that could be help organize future efforts in the field.
cell.com