“A novel highly stable and injectable hydrogel based on a conformationally restricted ultrashort peptide”

Abstract

Nanostructures including hydrogels based on peptides containing non protein amino acids are being considered as platform for drug delivery because of their inherent biocompatibility and additional proteolytic stability. Here we describe instantaneous self-assembly of a conformationally restricted dipeptide, LeuΔPhe, containing an α,β-dehydrophenylalanine residue into a highly stable and mechanically strong hydrogel, under mild physiological aqueous conditions. The gel successfully entrapped several hydrophobic and hydrophilic drug molecules and released them in a controlled manner. LeuΔPhe was highly biocompatible and easily injectable. Administration of an antineoplastic drug entrapped in the gel in tumor bearing mice significantly controlled growth of tumors. These characteristics make LeuΔPhe an attractive candidate for further development as a delivery platform for various biomedical applications.

Designing a bioactive scaffold from coassembled collagen–laminin short peptide hydrogels for controlling cell behaviour

“…68 The gels were deformed by applying the strain of 50% for 100 s followed by decreasing the strain up to 0.1% (LVE range) for 200 s which allows the recovery of the structure of gels. 69 We observed signicant difference in the percentage recovery of coassembled gels, depending upon the type of laminin peptide added. The weak gels formed by Nap-FFGSO + A showed the highest recovery of $50%.…”

Applications of self-assembling ultrashort peptides in bionanotechnology

“…35 Later on other DF dipeptides, such as LDF, also show hydrogel forming capability. 36 LDF hydrogel is transparent, self-supportive, mechanically strong, non-toxic, injectable, proteolytically stable and responsive to external stimuli like ionic strength, pH and temperature. It was used to encapsulate and release various hydrophobic and hydrophilic drug molecules in a controlled manner.…”

“…It was used to encapsulate and release various hydrophobic and hydrophilic drug molecules in a controlled manner. 36 DF dipeptides, like FDF, IDF, LDF, MDF and RDF, can also form nanoparticles and be used as drug carriers loaded with various of drug-like molecules. 37,38 Another interesting strategy to use dipeptide hydrogel as drug delivery vehicles is to directly complex dipeptides with small molecular drug.…”

A general method for preparation of N‐Boc‐protected or N‐Fmoc‐protected α,β‐didehydropeptide building blocks and their use in the solid‐phase peptide synthesis

“…These features endow them with particular conformational properties . Recently, it has been found that peptides with α,β‐didehydro‐α‐amino acid residues can form hydrogels and may be used as a platform for drug delivery which make these residues important for medicinal chemistry. The significant quality of α,β‐didehydro‐α‐amino acid residues, from the biological point of view, is increasing the resistance of peptides to enzymatic hydrolysis .…”

“…These features endow them with particular conformational properties. [3][4][5][6][7] Recently, it has been found that peptides with α,β-didehydro-α-amino acid residues can form hydrogels and may be used as a platform for drug delivery [8][9][10] which make these residues important for medicinal chemistry.…”