Supramolecular Self‐Assembly in Living Cells

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie Vol. 134; no. 18
• Main Authors: Dergham, Mohamed, Lin, Shanmeng, Geng, Jin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 25.04.2022
• Subjects: Assembly; Biocompatibility; Biological activity; Biological properties; Cell differentiation; Cell proliferation; Chemistry; Electrostatic properties; enzyme activation; Enzymes; External stimuli; host––guest systems; Hydrophobicity; intracellular polymerization; Macromolecules; nanoparticles; pH effects; Reactive oxygen species; supramolecular chemistry
• ISSN: 0044-8249; 1521-3757
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.202114267

Supramolecular interactions rely on non‐covalent forces, such as hydrophobic effects, hydrogen‐bonding, and electrostatic interactions, which govern many intracellular biological pathways. In cellulo supramolecular self‐assembly is mainly based on host–guest interactions, changes in pH, enzymes, and polymerization‐induced self‐assembly to accurately induce various unnatural reactions without disturbing natural biological processes. This process can produce synthetic biocompatible macromolecules to control cell properties and regulate biological functions, such as cell proliferation and differentiation. This Minireview focuses on the latest reports in the field of in cellulo supramolecular self‐assembly and anticipates future advances regarding its activation in response to internal and external stimuli, such as pH changes, reactive oxygen species, and enzymes, as well as external light illumination. This Minireview focuses on intracellular supramolecular self‐assembly that follows different strategies via host–guest interactions, enzymes, and polymerization‐induced self‐assembly. The resulting in cellulo non‐natural aggregates, including nanofibers, gels, nanoparticles, and colloidal droplets of coacervate, exhibit a variety of topological structures suitable for applications ranging from cancer treatment to bioimaging.