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Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Accessing the Cytotoxicity and Cell Response to Biomaterials
Published on: July 8, 2021
One- and two-photon responsive injectable nano-bundle biomaterials from co-assembled lipopeptides for controlling
Dong Wang1, Xiaojun Hou1, Xuecheng Zhang1
1State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing & Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, China. jqwang@upc.edu.cn wangdong@upc.edu.cn.
Injectable lipopeptide nano-bundles form dual-responsive hydrogels. These self-healing biomaterials can encapsulate and release drugs under UV or NIR light, showing potential for biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Injectable biomaterials are crucial for minimally invasive therapies.
- Developing materials with controlled drug release and responsiveness is a key challenge.
- Lipopeptide co-assembly offers a versatile platform for creating advanced biomaterials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop injectable, dual-responsive biomaterials from co-assembled lipopeptides.
- To investigate the self-healing and rheological properties of the nano-bundle (NB) biomaterials.
- To evaluate the drug encapsulation and light-triggered release capabilities for biomedical applications.
Main Methods:
- Co-assembly of lipopeptides C4-Bhc-Glu-Glu-NH2 and C14-Phe-Lys-Lys-NH2.
- Characterization of nano-bundle morphologies using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).
- Rheological property analysis, drug encapsulation (Doxorubicin, Bovine Serum Albumin), and in vitro cell assays.
Main Results:
- Successfully prepared injectable hydrogel-like biomaterials composed of lipopeptide nano-bundles.
- Demonstrated shear thinning, self-healing properties, and dual responsiveness to UV and Near-Infrared (NIR) light.
- Achieved controlled release of Doxorubicin and Bovine Serum Albumin, with light irradiation significantly affecting release kinetics. Low cytotoxicity observed for unloaded NBs, while DOX-loaded NBs showed effective HeLa cell killing, enhanced by light irradiation.
Conclusions:
- Co-assembled supramolecular NB biomaterials exhibit tunable rheological properties and dual-light responsiveness.
- These materials demonstrate potential for controlled drug delivery, with light irradiation enabling rapid drug release and enhanced therapeutic efficacy.
- The developed biomaterials show promise for advanced applications in biomedical engineering and regenerative medicine.
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