BIOE Seminar: Self-Assembling Peptide-Drug Conjugates
Friday, October 24, 2025
9:00 a.m.
A. James Clark Hall, Room #2121
For More Information:
Gregg Duncan
gaduncan@umd.edu

Honggang Cui
Professor
Johns Hopkins University

Self-Assembling Peptide-Drug Conjugates: A New Frontier at the Intersection of Prodrug Design, ADCs, and Nanomedicine

Abstract

To be safe and effective in clinical applications, most therapeutic agents require formulation strategies that enhance efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity. In this presentation, I will highlight our recent efforts to advance a new class of self-assembling peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), a platform that merges the design precision of prodrugs, the modularity of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and the structural functionality of nanomedicine. By leveraging the inherent bioactivity and self-assembly properties of peptides and therapeutic agents, we have developed PDCs in which drugs are covalently linked to rationally designed peptide sequences. Upon dissolution in aqueous solution, these constructs can self-assemble into discrete supramolecular nanostructures for systemic or inhalable delivery, or into supramolecular hydrogels for injectable, localized treatment. This approach enables carrier-free delivery of both small molecules and macromolecules, mimicking some of the combinatorial strengths of ADCs while expanding into broader delivery modalities. Our studies reveal that molecular design, assembly conditions, and kinetic control are key factors that govern the resulting nanostructures and, in turn, influence the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and therapeutic outcomes of the conjugates. Together, these findings support a shift in how we approach drug formulation: less is more. We view molecular self-assembly not merely as a delivery mechanism, but as a guiding design principle for constructing sef-formulating therapeutic systems. This PDC platform opens new opportunities for next-generation drug delivery systems operating at the intersection of prodrug engineering, conjugation strategies, and supramolecular assemlbies.

Speaker Bio 

Dr. Honggang Cui is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a core member of the Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology at the Whiting School of Engineering. He also holds joint appointments in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Whiting School, and in the Department of Oncology and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He earned his B.S. in Polymer Materials Science and Engineering from Beijing University of Chemical Technology in 1999, followed by an M.S. in Materials Science/Chemical Engineering from Tsinghua University in 2002. He received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Delaware in 2007. From 2007 to 2010, Dr. Cui was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine (IBNAM) at Northwestern University. Dr. Cui joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 2010. His research focuses on molecular self-assembly and biomolecular engineering, with applications in drug delivery and cancer therapeutics. He has published over 160 peer-reviewed articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Science, Cell, JACS, PNAS, and the Journal of Controlled Release. His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the NSF CAREER Award, the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, the Johns Hopkins Catalyst Award, and the Johns Hopkins Discovery Award. He is an elected Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Controlled Release, and co-chaired the inaugural Gordon Research Conference on Peptide Materials.

This Event is For: All Students • Graduate • Undergraduate • Faculty • Post-Docs