Reversible Thermoresponsive Peptide-PNIPAM Hydrogels for Controlled Drug Delivery

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Self-assembled peptide nanofibrils offer versatile scaffolds for biomaterial development.
• Thermoresponsive polymers enable dynamic control over material properties.
• Developing injectable hydrogels with controlled drug release is crucial for advanced therapeutics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate thermoreversible hydrogels by combining peptide nanofibrils with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM).
• To investigate the potential of these hydrogels for encapsulating and delivering antibacterial peptides.
• To evaluate the hydrogels as biomimetic scaffolds for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of hydrogels via self-assembly of I3K peptide nanofibrils and integration with PNIPAM.
• Utilizing the lower critical solution temperature of PNIPAM for sol-gel transitions around 33°C.
• Encapsulation of the antibacterial peptide G(IIKK)3I-NH2 within the hydrogel matrix.
• Characterization of sustained and controlled drug release profiles.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized thermoreversible hydrogels with a tunable sol-gel transition temperature near body temperature.
• Demonstrated efficient encapsulation and sustained linear release of the antibacterial peptide G(IIKK)3I-NH2.
• The peptide-PNIPAM hydrogels exhibited thermoresponsive behavior, switching between sol and gel states.
• The 3D nanofibril structure mimics the extracellular matrix, enhancing biomaterial properties.

Conclusions:

• The developed thermoreversible hydrogels offer a promising platform for injectable drug delivery systems.
• These biomimetic hydrogels hold potential for applications in minimally invasive therapies and tissue regeneration.
• The temperature-triggered sol-gel transition provides a mechanism for controlled release of therapeutic agents.