Enzyme-responsive peptide nanofiber compositions and uses thereof

1. A peptide-based nanofiber comprising a plurality of peptides, wherein each peptide comprises a methoxypolyethylene glycol (mPEG) polymer, GSH, and a self-assembling domain comprising the sequence KLDLKLDLKLDLK (SEQ ID NO: 1), wherein the self-assembling domain is interspersed between GSH and the mPEG polymer, wherein each amino acid of SEQ ID NO: 1 is an L-amino acid.

2. The peptide nanofiber of claim 1 , wherein the mPEG polymer is located at the N-terminus of each peptide.

3. The peptide nanofiber of claim 1 , wherein the mPEG polymer has a molecular weight from 1 kDa to 5 kDa.

4. A peptide-based nanofiber comprising a mixture of a first plurality of peptides and a second plurality of peptides,

wherein each peptide of the first plurality of peptides comprises a first methoxypolyethylene glycol (mPEG) polymer, a first fluorophore, and a first self-assembling domain comprising the sequence KLDLKLDLKLDLK (SEQ ID NO: 1), wherein the first self-assembling domain is interspersed between the first fluorophore and the first mPEG polymer, wherein each amino acid of SEQ ID NO: 1 is an L-amino acid; and

wherein each peptide of the second plurality of peptides comprises a second methoxypolyethylene glycol (mPEG) polymer, GSH and a second self-assembling domain comprising the sequence KLDLKLDLKLDLK (SEQ ID NO: 1).

5. The peptide-based nanofiber of claim 4 , wherein the molar ratio of the first plurality of peptides to the second plurality of peptides is 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 8:1, 9:1, 10:1, 11:1, 12:1, 13:1, 14:1, 15:1, 16:1, 17:1, 18:1, 19:1, 20:1, 25:1, 30:1, 40:1, or 50:1.

6. A peptide-based nanofiber comprising a mixture of a first plurality of peptides, a second plurality of peptides, and a third plurality of peptides,

wherein each peptide of the first plurality of peptides comprises a first methoxypolyethylene glycol (mPEG) polymer, a first fluorophore, and a first self-assembling domain comprising the sequence KLDLKLDLKLDLK (SEQ ID NO: 1), wherein the first self-assembling domain is interspersed between the first fluorophore and the first mPEG polymer, wherein each amino acid of SEQ ID NO: 1 is an L-amino acid;

wherein each peptide of the second plurality of peptides comprises a second methoxypolyethylene glycol (mPEG) polymer, and a second self-assembling domain comprising the sequence KLDLKLDLKLDLC (SEQ ID NO: 11); and

wherein each peptide of the third plurality of peptides comprises a third methoxypolyethylene glycol (mPEG) polymer, GSH and a third self-assembling domain comprising the sequence KLDLKLDLKLDLK (SEQ ID NO: 1).

7. The peptide-based nanofiber of claim 6 , wherein the molar ratio of the third plurality of peptides to the first and second plurality of peptides is 1:49, 2:48, 3:47, 4:46, 5:45, 6:44, 7:43, 8:42, 9:41, or 10:40.

8. The peptide-based nanofiber of claim 6 , wherein the molar ratio of the first plurality of peptides to the second plurality of peptides to the third plurality of peptides is 1:31:8, 1:32:7, 1:33:6, 1:34:5, 1:35:4, 1:36:3, 1:37:2, 1:38:1, 1:38.1:0.9, or 1:31.2:0.8.

9. The peptide-based nanofiber of claim 6 , wherein the peptide-based nanofiber is surface functionalized with one or more targeting ligands selected from the group consisting of antibodies, polymers, and peptide moieties.

10. The peptide-based nanofiber of claim 9 , wherein the peptide moieties are selected from the group consisting of Bombesin (BBN), Somatostatin, Allatostatin 1, Follicle-stimulating hormone analog FSH-33, LyP-1 peptide, Fibroblast growth factor analogs, Hepatocarcinoma targeting peptide, Peptide GFE, Epidermal Growth Factor, cetuximab, RGD tripeptide, CendR peptide, peptide F3, α-MSH peptide, Enterotoxin (STh), cyclic decapeptide CGLIIQKNEC (SEQ ID NO: 6), WIFPWIQL (SEQ ID NO: 7) peptide, CREKA (SEQ ID NO: 8) peptide, IPLVVPL (SEQ ID NO: 9) peptide, KTLLPTP (SEQ ID NO: 10) peptide, and antitumor-antibody-derived peptides.

11. A carrier complex comprising a therapeutic or diagnostic agent conjugated to a peptide-based nanofiber of claim 6 .

12. The carrier complex of claim 11 , wherein the therapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of 13-cis-Retinoic Acid, 2-Chlorodeoxyadenosine, 5-Azacitidine, 5-Fluorouracil, 6-Mercaptopurine, 6-Thioguanine, actinomycin-D, adriamycin, aldesleukin, alemtuzumab, alitretinoin, all-transretinoic acid, alpha interferon, altretamine, amethopterin, amifostine, anagrelide, anastrozole, arabinosylcytosine, arsenic trioxide, amsacrine, aminocamptothecin, aminoglutethimide, asparaginase, azacytidine, Bacillus calmette-guerin (BCG), bendamustine, bevacizumab, bexarotene, bicalutamide, bortezomib, bleomycin, busulfan, calcium leucovorin, citrovorum factor, capecitabine, canertinib, carboplatin, carmustine, cetuximab, chlorambucil, cisplatin, cladribine, cortisone, cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, darbepoetin alfa, dasatinib, daunomycin, decitabine, denileukin diftitox, dexamethasone, dexasone, dexrazoxane, dactinomycin, daunorubicin, decarbazine, docetaxel, doxorubicin, doxil, aldoxorubicin, doxifluridine, edrecolomab, eniluracil, epirubicin, epoetin alfa, erlotinib, everolimus, exemestane, estramustine, etoposide, filgrastim, fluoxymesterone, fulvestrant, flavopiridol, floxuridine, fludarabine, fluorouracil, flutamide, gefitinib, gemcitabine, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, goserelin, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor, hexamethylmelamine, hydrocortisone hydroxyurea, ibritumomab, ibritumomab tiuxetan, interferon alpha, interleukin-2, interleukin-11, isotretinoin, ixabepilone, idarubicin, imatinib mesylate, ifosfamide, irinotecan, lapatinib, lenalidomide, letrozole, leucovorin, leuprolide, liposomal Ara-C, lomustine, mechlorethamine, megestrol, melphalan, mercaptopurine, mertansine, mesna, methotrexate, methylprednisolone, mitomycin C, mitotane, mitoxantrone, nelarabine, nilutamide, octreotide, oprelvekin, oxaliplatin, paclitaxel, pamidronate, pemetrexed, panitumumab, PEG Interferon, pegaspargase, pegfilgrastim, PEG-L-asparaginase, pentostatin, plicamycin, prednisolone, prednisone, procarbazine, raloxifene, rituximab, romiplostim, ralitrexed, sapacitabine, sargramostim, satraplatin, sorafenib, sunitinib, semustine, streptozocin, tamoxifen, tegafur, tegafur-uracil, temsirolimus, temozolamide, teniposide, thalidomide, thioguanine, thiotepa, topotecan, toremifene, tositumomab, trastuzumab, trastuzumab emtansine, tretinoin, trimitrexate, alrubicin, vincristine, vinblastine, vindestine, vinorelbine, vorinostat, and zoledronic acid.

13. The carrier complex of claim 11 , wherein the diagnostic agent is a nanoparticle, a radioactive substance, a dye, a fluorescent compound, a contrast agent, a bioluminescent compound, an enzyme, or an enhancing agent.

14. A method for delivering a therapeutic or diagnostic agent to a cancerous cell, the method comprising contacting the cell with the carrier complex of claim 11 .

15. A method for delivering a therapeutic or diagnostic agent to a cancerous cell in a subject in need thereof comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of the carrier complex of claim 11 .

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the subject is diagnosed with breast cancer, brain cancer, ovarian cancer, or prostate cancer.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the subject is human.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the peptide-based nanofiber is administered orally, topically, intranasally, systemically, locally intramuscularly, intravenously, subcutaneously, intracerebroventricularly, intrathecally, intratumorally, transdermally or with iontophoresis.

19. The peptide-based nanofiber of claim 6 , wherein the first fluorophore is FITC, TAMRA, or