Supramolecular Nanostructures for Smart and Tailored Drug Delivery: Recent Progress and Future Perspectives

Dear Colleagues,

The term “supramolecular nanostructures” refers to well-defined nano- to meso-scale objects that have resulted from the assembly of ad hoc designed or naturally occurring building blocks held together by non-covalent, directional and reversible interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonding, ionic bonding, dipole forces, hydrophobic interactions and Van der Waals forces or a combination of these). Small molecules (e.g., cyclodextrins), polymers, peptides and proteins are examples of the building blocks available for the fabrication of supramolecular nanostructures. The non-covalent nature of their constituent interactions provides supramolecular nanostructures with additional advantageous features, such as dynamism and stimuli-responsiveness that can be exploited to drive specific responses (e.g., stimuli-responsive drug delivery) while interfacing with biological systems. Overall, supramolecular nanostructures exhibit a wide compositional and chemical versatility, which enables their fine optimization to meet specific requirements (e.g., tailored payload release, active targeting on specific cells, tissues or organs) and pave the way towards the definition of patient personalized therapeutic approaches (e.g., optimal and precise administration of selected payloads according to a well-defined time schedule, depending on patient-specific needs). Furthermore, these structures can enhance the water solubility and bioavailability of drugs, while protecting them from undesired degradation; these problems represent relevant limitations in currently adopted therapeutic approaches.

This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest research and innovations in the design and characterization of supramolecular nanostructures for smart and tailored drug delivery in the biomedical field. Topics of interest include the following: (i) synthesis of new building blocks for supramolecular nanostructure fabrication, (ii) design and characterization of supramolecular nanostructures, and (iii) in-depth investigation into supramolecular nanostructure application in drug delivery, regenerative pharmacology, precision medicine, and beyond.

We invite researchers from around the globe to contribute their original research articles, reviews, and case studies to advance our understanding of supramolecular nanostructures. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange in this rapidly evolving field, this Special Issue will provide valuable insights and promote the development of supramolecular nanostructures for smart and tailored drug delivery applications.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and making this Special Issue a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners alike.

Prof. Dr. Gianluca Ciardelli
Dr. Monica Boffito
Guest Editors

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• supramolecular nanostructures
• nanoparticles
• hydrogels
• drug delivery
• nanotechnology
• precision medicine
• regenerative pharmacology
• non-covalent interactions