Self-assembling peptide hydrogels: design, mechanisms, characterization, and biomedical applications

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Peptide hydrogels are advanced biomaterials with high water retention and controlled drug release kinetics.
• Their properties can be customized through peptide sequence engineering and modulation of self-assembly.
• Applications span drug delivery, cancer therapy, wound healing, cell culture, and biosensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review recent advancements in peptide hydrogel design and development.
• To analyze the structure-activity relationships governing hydrogel performance.
• To provide a theoretical framework for multi-scale self-assembly mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Review of rational design strategies for peptide sequences.
• Analysis of molecular self-assembly pathways and intermolecular interactions.
• Exploration of advanced characterization techniques and AI-assisted development.

Main Results:

• Peptide hydrogels exhibit significant potential in various biomedical fields.
• Understanding intermolecular interactions is key to tailoring macroscopic performance.
• AI integration accelerates the development of these intelligent biomaterials.

Conclusions:

• Peptide hydrogels represent a promising frontier in biomedical engineering.
• This review offers guidance for developing functional delivery systems with precise drug loading and biocompatibility.
• Further research supports their clinical application in medicine.