Proteins have been widely used in the biomedical field because of their well-defined architecture, accurate molecular weight, excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, and easy-to-functionalization. Inspired by the wisdom of nature, increasing proteins/peptides that possess self-assembling capabilities have been explored and designed to generate nanoassemblies with unique structure and function, including spatially organized conformation, passive and active targeting, stimuli-responsiveness, and high stability. These characteristics make protein/peptide-based nanoassembly an ideal platform for drug delivery and vaccine development. In this review, we focus on recent advances in subsistent protein/peptide-based nanoassemblies, including protein nanocages, virus-like particles, self-assemblable natural proteins, and self-assemblable artificial peptides. The origin and characteristics of various protein/peptide-based assemblies and their applications in drug delivery and vaccine development are summarized. In the end, the prospects and challenges are discussed for the further development of protein/peptide-based nanoassemblies.

蛋白质因其结构明确、分子量准确、生物相容性和生物降解性优异、易于功能化而在生物医学领域得到广泛应用。受自然智慧的启发，越来越多的具有自组装能力的蛋白质/肽被探索和设计，以产生具有独特结构和功能的纳米组装体，包括空间组织构象、被动和主动靶向、刺激响应性和高稳定性。这些特性使基于蛋白质/肽的纳米组装成为药物输送和疫苗开发的理想平台。在这篇综述中，我们重点关注基于蛋白质/肽的纳米组装体的最新进展，包括蛋白质纳米笼、病毒样颗粒、自组装天然蛋白质和自组装人工肽。总结了各种基于蛋白质/肽的组装体的起源和特征及其在药物输送和疫苗开发中的应用。最后，讨论了基于蛋白质/肽的纳米组件的进一步发展的前景和挑战。