De Novo-Designed Peptide-Engineered Multimodal Platform for Post-Ischemic Stroke Tissue Repair

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Neuroscience
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Tissue regeneration in complex diseases like stroke requires advanced materials.
• Current platforms struggle to integrate mechanical, electrical, and biochemical cues for effective signaling pathway regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a computation-driven, multimodal hydrogel as a programmable regulatory node for post-ischemic stroke tissue repair.
• To address the challenge of integrating diverse cues within a single, stable, injectable platform.

Main Methods:

• Developed a hydrogel integrating a computationally screened peptide scaffold and surface-engineered MXene nanosheets.
• Ensured MXene stability and conductivity within the injectable system.
• Utilized a mouse model of ischemic stroke to evaluate the hydrogel's therapeutic effects.

Main Results:

• The hydrogel demonstrated long-term colloidal stability (over 2 months) and maintained high conductivity (1.2 mS/cm).
• In stroke models, it reconstructed neurovascular integrity, reduced glial scarring, and enhanced remyelination and synaptic repair.
• Restored neural electrical signal transmission, leading to functional recovery.

Conclusions:

• The developed multimodal hydrogel represents a promising data-driven design for bioelectronic tissue repair materials.
• This approach offers a new paradigm for orchestrating complex regenerative processes in pathological conditions.