Helical Nonfouling Polypeptides for Biomedical Applications

Synthetic polypeptides, also known as poly(alpha-amino acid)s (P alpha AAs), are biomimetic and biodegradable polymers holding great potential for a variety of biomedical applications. Possessing the same peptide bonds as natural proteins, polypeptides can also adopt typical well-defined secondary structures including alpha-helix, which have been shown to significantly impact the physicochemical properties and biological outcomes of materials. In this feature article, we review the state-of-the-art progresses of alpha-helical polypeptides for biomedical applications, with a special emphasis on the manipulation of helix-to-coil dynamic transition, conformation-associated anti-biofouling coatings, cellular uptake regulation, and reducing immunogenicity of polypeptide-protein conjugates. Finally, perspectives on outstanding challenges remained in this field and some important future directions are discussed.