pH-Responsive Reversible Granular Hydrogels Based on Metal-Binding Mussel-Inspired Peptides

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Granular hydrogels from microparticles are promising injectable soft materials.
• Current annealing methods yield static or mechanically weak scaffolds.
• Need for dynamic, robust, and injectable scaffolds in regenerative medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel microgels for creating self-healing, microporous scaffolds.
• To utilize mussel-inspired peptides for reversible metal-coordination cross-linking.
• To overcome limitations of existing static and dynamic hydrogel scaffolds.

Main Methods:

• Functionalization of microgels with mussel-inspired peptides.
• In situ aggregation via zinc ion coordination at basic pH.
• Dissociation using metal chelators or acidic conditions.
• Assessment of scaffold properties (microporosity, self-healing, resilience).

Main Results:

• Developed peptide-functionalized microgels forming reversible, microporous scaffolds.
• Achieved self-healing and resilient properties at physiological conditions.
• Demonstrated tunable scaffold properties via metal coordination.
• Confirmed cytocompatibility of the annealed granular hydrogel scaffolds.

Conclusions:

• Peptide-functionalized granular hydrogels offer a versatile platform for regenerative medicine.
• The developed material provides a tunable, self-healing, and injectable scaffold.
• Potential applications in tissue engineering and therapeutic delivery are significant.