Supramolecular Hydrogels for Protein Delivery in Tissue Engineering.

Molecules

School of Engineering and Materials Science, Institute of Bioengineering, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK.

Published: February 2021

Therapeutic proteins, such as growth factors (GFs), have been used in tissue engineering (TE) approaches for their ability to provide signals to cells and orchestrate the formation of functional tissue. However, to be effective and minimize off-target effects, GFs should be delivered at the target site with temporal control. In addition, protein drugs are typically sensitive water soluble macromolecules with delicate structure. As such, hydrogels, containing large amounts of water, provide a compatible environment for the direct incorporation of proteins within the hydrogel network, while their release rate can be tuned by engineering the network chemistry and density. Being formed by transient crosslinks, afforded by non-covalent interactions, supramolecular hydrogels offer important advantages for protein delivery applications. This review describes various types of supramolecular hydrogels using a repertoire of diverse building blocks, their use for protein delivery and their further application in TE contexts. By reviewing the recent literature on this topic, the merits of supramolecular hydrogels are highlighted as well as their limitations, with high expectations for new advances they will provide for TE in the near future.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7914635PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/molecules26040873DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

supramolecular hydrogels
16
protein delivery
12
tissue engineering
8
supramolecular
4
protein
4
hydrogels protein
4
delivery tissue
4
engineering therapeutic
4
therapeutic proteins
4
proteins growth
4

Similar Publications

Deciphering the most promising strategy for the evolution of cancer patient management remains a multifaceted, challenging affair to date. Additionally, such approaches often lead to microbial infections as side effects, probably due to the compromised immunity of the patients undergoing such treatment. Distinctly, this work delineates a rational combinatorial strategy harnessing stereogenic harmony in the diphenylalanine fragment, tethering it to an amphiphile 12-hydroxy-lauric acid at the N-terminus (compounds -) such that a potential therapeutic could be extracted out from the series.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Certain proteins and synthetic covalent polymers experience aqueous phase transitions, driving functional self-assembly. Herein, we unveil the ability of supramolecular polymers (SPs) formed by G4.Cu+ to undergo heating-induced unexpected aqueous phase transitions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Smart core-shell microneedles for psoriasis therapy: In situ self-assembly of calcium ion-coordinated dexamethasone hydrogel.

J Control Release

January 2025

State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Natural Bioactive Molecules and Discovery of Innovative Drugs, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China. Electronic address:

Psoriasis is a prevalent relapsing dermatological condition that often necessitates lifelong treatment. The distinctive thickening of the stratum corneum presents a challenge to drug penetration. The employment of microneedles has been demonstrated to enhance the transdermal drug delivery efficacy by creating multiple microchannels in the skin.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Injectable hydrogel-assisted local lipopolysaccharide delivery improves immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

Acta Biomater

January 2025

Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China; National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, Jilin, PR China; International Center of Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China. Electronic address:

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) significantly influence the clinical outcomes of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Strategies aimed at reprogramming TAMs from the immunosuppressive M2 phenotype to the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype hold promise for enhancing ICB efficacy. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) ligand, can reprogram TAMs toward an M1 phenotype.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Three-Dimensional SERS-Active Hydrogel Microbeads Enable Highly Sensitive Homogeneous Phase Detection of Alkaline Phosphatase in Biosystems.

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces

January 2025

State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, P. R. China.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a biomarker for many diseases, and monitoring its activity level is important for disease diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we used the microdroplet technology combined with an laser-induced polymerization method to prepare the Ag nanoparticle (AgNP) doped hydrogel microbeads (HMBs) with adjustable pore sizes that allow small molecules to enter while blocking large molecules. The AgNPs embedded in the hydrogel microspheres can provide SERS activity, improving the SERS signal of small molecules that diffuse to the AgNPs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!