Self-assembling polymers work up some nerve

doi:10.1126/science.ael4456

Self-assembling polymers work up some nerve

2026-10-01

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Sanjay Kumar

DOI：10.1126/science.ael4456

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Physical structure dictates the processes that underlie life. At the molecular scale, geometrically matching shapes allow a protein’s binding pocket and a specific ligand to fit together, triggering important biochemical events. At the cellular scale, cylinder-like axons enable rapid transport of materials and electrical signals inside a neuron (1). An ongoing goal in biomaterials science has been synthetically creating biomolecules that can interface with cells and support specialized cell structures, such as the long, thin shapes of neurons. On page 125 of this issue, Dore et al. (2) report a family of peptide amphiphiles with discrete hydrophilic and lipophilic regions that assemble into fibrils with dimensions comparable to those of a cell (10 to 100 μm). These structures allow neurons to extend axon-like processes along the fibrils and assemble into multicellular networks. The findings warrant further exploration of peptide amphiphiles and related materials for cellular engineering and regenerative medicine.

Self-assembling polymers work up some nerve

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