The effect of pH and calcium ions on the stability of amphiphilic and anionic β-sheet peptide hydrogels.

Amphiphilic peptides can form bottom-up-designed self-assembled hydrogels composed of elongated fibril matrices that could find uses in various biologically-related systems, acting as platforms for drug delivery or scaffolds that mimic extracellular matrices in tissue regeneration systems. We have previously reported that the amphiphilic and anionic β-sheet forming peptide, Pro-Asp-(Phe-Asp)5 -Pro, P(FD)-5, generates hydrogels that template calcium-phosphate mineral and as such, were able to enhance bone formation in vivo. Our earlier results prompted us to further exploit the effects of pH and calcium ion concentration on P(FD)-5 peptide in solution, in hydrogels and in mineral-loaded hydrogel compositions.