Peptide Hydrogel for Sustained Release of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 In Vitro.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of varying the formulation of a specific peptide hydrogel (PepGel) on the release kinetics of rhBMP-2 in vitro. Three PepGel formulations were assessed: (1) 50% / (peptides volume/total volume) PepGel, where synthetic peptides were mixed with crosslinking reagents and rhBMP-2 solution; (2) 67% / PepGel; (3) 80% / PepGel. Each sample was loaded with 12 µg of rhBMP-2 and incubated in PBS.

Bioengineered Anthocyanin-Enriched Tomatoes: A Novel Approach to Colorectal Cancer Prevention.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health challenge, with barriers to effective prevention and treatment including tumor recurrence, chemoresistance, and limited overall survival rates. Anthocyanins, known for their strong anti-cancer properties, have shown promise in preventing and suppressing various cancers, including CRC. However, natural sources of anthocyanins often fail to provide sufficient quantities needed for therapeutic effects.

Unlocking the Potential of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Cellular Responses and Secretome Profiles in Peptide Hydrogel 3D Culture.

Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have shown great potential for human health, but their growth and properties have been significantly limited by the traditional monolayer (2D) cell culture method for more than 15 years. Three-dimensional (3D) culture technology has demonstrated tremendous advantages over 2D. In particular, the 3D PGmatrix hiPSC derived from a peptide hydrogel offers a breakthrough pathway for the maintenance and expansion of physiologically relevant hiPSC 3D colonies (spheroids).

High Nutritional Quality of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Generated Proteins through an Advanced Scalable Peptide Hydrogel 3D Suspension System.

Cell-cultured protein technology has become increasingly attractive due to its sustainability and climate benefits. The aim of this study is to determine the nutritional quality of the human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-cultured proteins in an advanced 3D peptide hydrogel system for the highly efficient production of cell-cultured proteins. Our previous study demonstrated a PGmatrix peptide hydrogel for the 3D embedded culture of long-term hiPSC maintenance and expansion (PGmatrix-hiPSC (PG-3D)), which showed significantly superior pluripotency when compared with traditional 2D cell culture on Matrigel and/or Vitronectin and other existing 3D scaffolding systems such as Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based hydrogels.

Design and characterization of PROTAC degraders specific to protein N-terminal methyltransferase 1.

Protein N-terminal methylation catalyzed by N-terminal methyltransferase 1 (NTMT1) is an emerging methylation present in eukaryotes, playing important regulatory roles in various biological and cellular processes. Although dysregulation of NTMT1 has been linked to many diseases such as colorectal cancer, their molecular and cellular mechanisms remain elusive due to inaccessibility to an effective cellular probe. Here we report the design, synthesis, and characterization of the first-in-class NTMT1 degraders based on proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) strategy.

Injectable Peptide Hydrogel Encapsulation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improved Viability, Stemness, Anti-Inflammatory Effects, and Early Stage Wound Healing.

Human-adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSCs) are adult stem cells and are relatively easy to access compared to other sources of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). They have shown immunomodulation properties as well as effects in improving tissue regeneration. To better stimulate and preserve the therapeutic properties of hADMSCs, biomaterials for cell delivery have been studied extensively.

Differentiation Capacity of Human Urine-Derived Stem Cells to Retain Telomerase Activity.

Telomerase activity is essential for the self-renewal and potential of embryonic, induced pluripotent, and cancer stem cells, as well as a few somatic stem cells, such as human urine-derived stem cells (USCs). However, it remains unclear how telomerase activity affects the regeneration potential of somatic stem cells. The objective of this study was to determine the regenerative significance of telomerase activity, particularly to retain cell surface marker expression, multipotent differentiation capability, chromosomal stability, and tumorigenic transformation, in each clonal population of human primary USCs.

Applying the Cytocentric Principles to Regenerative Medicine for Reproducibility.

Purpose Of Review: Cell and tissue products do not just reflect their present conditions; they are the culmination of all they have encountered over time. Currently, routine cell culture practices subject cell and tissue products to highly variable and non-physiologic conditions. This article defines five cytocentric principles that place the conditions for cells at the core of what we do for better reproducibility in Regenerative Medicine.

Advances in 3D peptide hydrogel models in cancer research.

In vitro cell culture models on monolayer surfaces (2D) have been widely adapted for identification of chemopreventive food compounds and food safety evaluation. However, the low correlation between 2D models and in vivo animal models has always been a concern; this gap is mainly caused by the lack of a three-dimensional (3D) extracellular microenvironment. In 2D models, cell behaviors and functionalities are altered, resulting in varied responses to external conditions (i.

Self-Assembling Peptide Solution Accelerates Hemostasis.

One of the leading causes of death following traumatic injury is exsanguination. Biological material-based hemostatic agents such as fibrin, thrombin, and albumin have a high risk for causing infection. Synthetic peptide-based hemostatic agents offer an attractive alternative.

Formation and physicochemical properties of amyloid fibrils from soy protein.

Amyloid-like fibrils from food proteins possess unique functional properties for food and many other uses. This study reports the effect of hydrolytic heating (pH 2.0, 85 °C, 0-24 h) and incubation times (0-7 days) on the formation and physicochemical properties of amyloid fibrils based on soy protein isolates (SPI).

3D h9e peptide hydrogel: An advanced three-dimensional cell culture system for anticancer prescreening of chemopreventive phenolic agents.

Traditional 2D monolayer cell culture model may overestimate chemopreventive agent's response due to lacking physiological relevance in three-dimensional microenvironment. This study was aimed to apply a novel 3D h9e peptide hydrogel cell culture system to evaluate the anticancer efficacy of chemopreventive phenolic acid on hepatocarcinoma HepG2 and colon adenocarcinoma SW480 cells. Both cell lines grew better in this 3D system with better cell growth and longer exponential phase than that in 2D model.

Bio-Based Wood Adhesive from Camelina Protein (a Biodiesel Residue) and Depolymerized Lignin with Improved Water Resistance.

The aim of this study was to improve water resistance of camelina protein (CP) for wood adhesives with depolymerized lignin. Kraft lignin was depolymerized by HO-induced oxidation in the presence of ultrasound (US) irradiation to reduce lignin's particle size and thermal stability and increase the hydroxyl group. Coupling with depolymerized lignin camelina protein exhibited increased hydrophobicity.

Effects of glycerol and nanoclay on physiochemical properties of camelina gum-based films.

Film-forming properties of camelina gum (CG) were evaluated, including film appearance and morphological, mechanical, water/light barrier, and thermal properties. With 4% nanoclay, tensile strength of film increased from 43.2MPa to 54.

Mesoporous Hybrids of Reduced Graphene Oxide and Vanadium Pentoxide for Enhanced Performance in Lithium-Ion Batteries and Electrochemical Capacitors.

Mesoporous hybrids of V2O5 nanoparticles anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have been synthesized by slow hydrolysis of vanadium oxytriisopropoxide using a two-step solvothermal method followed by vacuum annealing. The hybrid material possesses a hierarchical structure with 20-30 nm V2O5 nanoparticles uniformly grown on rGO nanosheets, leading to a high surface area with mesoscale porosity. Such hybrid materials present significantly improved electronic conductivity and fast electrolyte ion diffusion, which synergistically enhance the electrical energy storage performance.

Mitigation of Tumor-Associated Fibroblast-Facilitated Head and Neck Cancer Progression With Anti-Hepatocyte Growth Factor Antibody Ficlatuzumab.

Importance: Ficlatuzumab can be used to treat head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) by inhibiting c-Met receptor-mediated cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

Objective: To understand the effect of ficlatuzumab on HNSCC proliferation, migration, and invasion.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The effects of ficlatuzumab on HNSCC proliferation, invasion, and migration were tested.

Conformational Flexibility and pH Effects on Anisotropic Growth of Sheet-Like Assembly of Amphiphilic Peptides.

Peptide-based biomaterials have many potential applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery, surface engineering, and other areas. In this study, we exploited a series of amphiphilic diblock model peptides (L5K10, L5GSIIK10, and L5P(D)PK10) to understand how the supramolecular assembly morphology may be modulated by the physical properties of the peptide monomer and experimental conditions. A combination of experimentation and simulation revealed that although all three peptides lack stable structures as monomers, their levels of conformational heterogeneity differ significantly.

Effective Infiltration of Gel Polymer Electrolyte into Silicon-Coated Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofibers as Anodes for Solid-State Lithium-Ion Batteries.

This study demonstrates the full infiltration of gel polymer electrolyte into silicon-coated vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (Si-VACNFs), a high-capacity 3D nanostructured anode, and the electrochemical characterization of its properties as an effective electrolyte/separator for future all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries. Two fabrication methods have been employed to form a stable interface between the gel polymer electrolyte and the Si-VACNF anode. In the first method, the drop-casted gel polymer electrolyte is able to fully infiltrate into the open space between the vertically aligned core-shell nanofibers and encapsulate/stabilize each individual nanofiber in the polymer matrix.

Measurement of hydroxyproline in collagen with three different methods.

Determination of the 4-hydroxy-l-proline (hydroxyproline) concentration may provide useful information for the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases caused by disorders of collagen metabolism. The objective of the present study was to apply liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to assess the hydroxyproline concentration. The hydroxyproline concentration in lung and liver tissues measured by LC-MS was compared with values obtained by a colorimetric method, as well as a fluorescence method using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) from previous studies by our group.

Peptide nanofiber hydrogel adjuvanted live virus vaccine enhances cross-protective immunity to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is prevalent in swine farms worldwide and is a major source of economic loss and animal suffering. Rapid genetic variation of PRRSV makes it difficult for current vaccines to confer protection against newly emerging strains. We recently demonstrated that a novel peptide nanofiber hydrogel (H9e) could act as a potent adjuvant for killed H1N1 vaccines.

Peptide hydrogelation and cell encapsulation for 3D culture of MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture plays an invaluable role in tumor biology by providing in vivo like microenviroment and responses to therapeutic agents. Among many established 3D scaffolds, hydrogels demonstrate a distinct property as matrics for 3D cell culture. Most of the existing pre-gel solutions are limited under physiological conditions such as undesirable pH or temperature.

Structural transformation and physical properties of a hydrogel-forming peptide studied by NMR, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic rheometer.

Peptide-based hydrogels are attractive biological materials. Study of their self-assembly pathways from their monomer structures is important not only for undertaking the rational design of peptide-based materials, but also for understanding their biological functions and the mechanism of many human diseases relative to protein aggregation. In this work, we have monitored the conformation, morphological, and mechanical properties of a hydrogel-forming peptide during hydrogelation in different dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)/H(2)O solutions.

Synthesis and characterization of amphiphilic reduced graphene oxide with epoxidized methyl oleate.

Amphiphilic reduced graphene oxide is obtained by oleo-functionalization with epoxidized methyl oleate (renewable feedstock) using a green process. The excellent diverse solvent-dispersivity of the oleo-reduced amphiphilic graphene and its reduction chemistry are confirmed in this study. Oleo-reduction of amphiphilic graphene is amenable to industrially viable processes to produce future graphene-based polymer composites and systems.