Molecular-Size Control of Properties of Therapeutic Nano-Paper Allows for Selective Drug Storage in Small Doses

Abstract

A novel concept of nano-scaled interwoven templates for drug delivery with alternating hydro- and lipophilicity properties is introduced. They are built from cellulose and peptide hydrogel in tandem, and characterized by a nano-stacked interwoven design, thus enabling for tuning the lipophilicity in the mesh nano-domains in which drug candidates of complementary lipophilicities can be embedded. This allows for low-dose-controlled consumption and therapeutic applications. Time-resolved and in-situ grazing incidence X-ray scattering studies confirm the design of the therapeutic nano-paper and create conditions suitable for the drug storage of complementary properties. The molecular design has the potential of a locally controlled, site-specific drug release on a beyond-nanomolar scale. Generalized, the design may contribute to facile developments of personalized medicine.