Tuning Peptide-Based Hydrogels: Co-Assembly with Composites Driving the Highway to Technological Applications

Abstract

Self-assembled peptide-based gels provide several advantages for technological applications. Recently, the co-assembly of gelators has been a strategy to modulate and tune gel properties and even implement stimuli-responsiveness. However, it still comprises limitations regarding the required library of compounds and outcoming properties. Hence, efforts have been made to combine peptide-based gels and (in)organic composites (e.g., magnetic nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles, liposomes, graphene, silica, clay, titanium dioxide, cadmium sulfide) to endow stimuli-responsive materials and achieve suitable properties in several fields ranging from optoelectronics to biomedical. Herein, we discuss the recent developments with composite peptide-based gels including the fabrication, tunability of gels’ properties, and challenges on (bio)technological applications.

Peptide-Hydrogel Nanocomposites for Anti-Cancer Drug Delivery

“…Over the past decades, considerable developments in the synthesis and technology of non-peptide hydrogel nanocomposites have qualified them as promising candidates for designing controlled-release drug delivery systems. Comparatively, there is little knowledge of peptide-based hydrogel nanocomposites [50], so this review aims to highlight recent advances in the use of peptide-based nanocomposites as anticancer drug delivery vehicles. The inclusion/incorporation of nanoparticles in three-dimensional (3D) peptide hydrogels is an innovative strategy for obtaining multifunctionality, adding synergistic benefits to the new 3D structures, which are the main focus of this short but comprehensive review.…”

“…Summary of the DDS applications, advantages, and disadvantages associated with the peptide-based hydrogels loaded with inorganic nanoparticles. The disadvantages can be transversal to other composites [50].…”

“…Over the past decades, considerable developments in the synthesis and technology of non-peptide hydrogel nanocomposites have qualified them as promising candidates for designing controlled-release drug delivery systems. Comparatively, there is little knowledge of peptidebased hydrogel nanocomposites [50], so this review aims to highlight recent advances in The incorporation of NPs within hydrogels creates multifunctional systems to achieve tunable delivery systems. Besides improving the mechanical properties of the hydrogels, the presence of NPs modulates the response of the nanocomposites to different stimuli (e.g., electric, magnetic, and light-responsive hydrogels), as shown in Table 1.…”

A Promising Compound for Green Multiresponsive Materials Based on Acyl Carrier Protein

“…Advances in solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) provide researchers with a new tool to investigate these promising systems. − Peptide-based gels represent a curious bridge between functional materials and biological systems. Also, they are biocompatible and biodegradable and in general possess low toxicity .…”

Short Peptides for Hydrolase Supramolecular Mimicry and Their Potential Applications

“…In particular, those capable of self-assembly into nanostructured yet macroscopic gels ( Figure 1 ) have attracted great attention over the last two decades as protein mimics that form innovative and functional soft materials. They share many advantages with enzymes, such as biodegradability and environmental friendliness [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Furthermore, their functionalities and biodegradation rate can be fine-tuned with the inclusion of non-canonical amino acids in their sequence [ 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”