Self-Assembled Peptide-Based Fibrous Hydrogel as a Biological Catalytic Scaffold for Nitric Oxide Generation and...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Biology

Background:

• Biomolecular hydrogels are advanced scaffolds for drug delivery and personalized medicine.
• Existing nitric oxide (NO) releasing scaffolds have limitations in payload capacity, release rate, and biocompatibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design short peptide derivatives as low-molecular-weight gelators for self-assembling into nanofibrous hydrogels.
• To investigate the NO generation, encapsulation, and anti-inflammatory properties of these peptide hydrogels.

Main Methods:

• Self-assembly of peptide derivatives into nanofibrous hydrogels under basic aqueous conditions.
• Characterization of hydrogel structure, mechanical properties, and secondary structure.
• Evaluation of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) generation and external NO sequestration.
• Assessment of anti-inflammatory effects in activated murine macrophages.

Main Results:

• Peptide derivatives spontaneously formed nanofibrous hydrogels driven by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions.
• The hydrogels exhibited secondary structure and crystalline nanofibers.
• The hydrogel scaffold catalyzed endogenous NO generation and could sequester external NO.
• Demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in activated murine macrophages.

Conclusions:

• Designer peptide hydrogels offer a versatile platform for NO generation and encapsulation.
• These biomaterials provide fundamental insights into designing peptide-based scaffolds for biomedical applications.
• The study highlights the potential of self-assembling peptides in advanced therapeutics.