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Updated: Oct 14, 2025

The Synthesis of RGD-functionalized Hydrogels as a Tool for Therapeutic Applications
Published on: October 7, 2016
Development of an Amino Sugar-Based Supramolecular Hydrogelator with Reduction Responsiveness
Sayuri L Higashi1, Masato Ikeda1,2,3,4,5
1United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
Abstract:
Stimuli-responsive supramolecular hydrogels are a newly emerging class of aqueous soft materials with a wide variety of bioapplications. Here we report a reduction-responsive supramolecular hydrogel constructed from a markedly simple low-molecular-weight hydrogelator, which is developed on the basis of modular molecular design containing a hydrophilic amino sugar and a reduction-responsive nitrophenyl group. The hydrogel formation ability differs significantly between glucosamine- and galactosamine-based self-assembling molecules, which are epimers at the C4 position, and only the glucosamine-based derivative can act as a hydrogelator.
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