TRIBUTE TO FOUNDERS: FRANCES ARNOLD. BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING, BIOENGINEERING, BIOCHEMICALS, BIOFUELS, AND FOOD
Beyond function: Engineering improved peptides for therapeutic applications
Sayanee Adhikari,
Jesse A. Leissa,
Amy J. Karlsson,
Sayanee Adhikari
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Search for more papers by this authorJesse A. Leissa
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Amy J. Karlsson
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Correspondence
Amy J. Karlsson, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, 2113 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building (#090), College Park, MD 20742.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorSayanee Adhikari,
Jesse A. Leissa,
Amy J. Karlsson,
Sayanee Adhikari
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Search for more papers by this authorJesse A. Leissa
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Amy J. Karlsson
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Correspondence
Amy J. Karlsson, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, 2113 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building (#090), College Park, MD 20742.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorFunding information Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems, Grant/Award Number: 1511718; National Science Foundation
Abstract
Peptides are a promising source of new therapeutics, but the biophysical characteristics of natural peptides, including their stability and propensity to aggregate, can limit their success. Protein engineering offers powerful tools to improve the properties of peptides for biological applications. In this review, we explain rational design, directed evolution, and computational methods and how these methods can be applied to improving the characteristics of peptides. We also provide a discussion of engineering the thermodynamic stability, self-assembly, reduced aggregation, proteolytic stability, and binding affinity and specificity of peptides, along with a perspective on future directions in engineering therapeutic peptides.
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