Bioinspired short peptide hydrogel for versatile encapsulation and controlled release of growth factor therapeutics

• Main Authors: Hiew, Shu Hui, Wang, Jun Kit, Koh, Kenrick, Yang, Haibo, Bacha, Abbas, Lin, Junquan, Yip, Yun Sheng, Vos, Marcus Ivan Gerard, Chen, Liyan, Sobota, Radoslaw M., Tan, Nguan Soon, Tay, Chor Yong, Miserez, Ali
• Other Authors: School of Materials Science and Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Engineering::Materials; Peptide Hydrogel; Supramolecular Self-Assembly
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/160212
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

A short bioinspired octapeptide, GV8, can self-assemble under mild conditions into biodegradable supramolecular physical hydrogels with high storage modulus and good biocompatibility. GV8 hydrogels can encapsulate both single or multiple macromolecular protein-based therapeutics in a simple one-pot formulation manner, making it a promising candidate to address challenges faced by existing synthetic polymer or peptide hydrogels with complex gelation and drug-encapsulation processes. Alongside its versatility, the hydrogel exhibits concentration-dependent storage modulus and controlled drug-release action. We demonstrate that GV8 hydrogels loaded with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSC) secretome remain mechanically robust, and exhibit promising potential for wound healing applications by preserving secretome activity while maintaining a constant supply of ADMSC secretome to promote epithelial cell migration. Overall, our work highlights the potential of GV8 peptide hydrogel as a versatile and safe carrier for encapsulation and delivery of macromolecular therapeutics.