Journal
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
Volume 39, Issue 24, Pages -Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/marc.201800588
Keywords
drug delivery; hydrogels; low-molecular-weight hydrogelators; peptides; photo-responsive
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Funding
- Israel Science Foundation [1732/17]
- Chaoul Center for Nanoscale Systems of Tel Aviv University
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Low-molecular-weight self-assembled peptides may serve as promising hydrogelators for drug delivery applications by changing their structural network in response to external stimuli. Herein, inspired by the well-studied low-molecular-weight peptide hydrogelator, fluorenyl-methoxycarbonyl-diphenylalanine (Fmoc-FF), a novel peptide is designed and synthesized to include an ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive phototrigger. Similar to Fmoc-FF, 6-nitroveratryloxycarbonyl-diphenylalanine (Nvoc-FF) self-assembles to form a 3D, self-supporting, nanofibrous hydrogel. The Nvoc-FF hydrogel exhibits good mechanical properties with a storage modulus of 40 kPa. UV irradiation of the Nvoc-FF hydrogel encapsulating insulin-fluorescein isothiocyanate (insulin-FITC) results in the cleavage of Nvoc-FF peptide to produce unmasked FF, thereby facilitating the degradation of the hydrogel and the release of insulin-FITC. This release is in linear correlation to the irradiation time. In the present study, a first insight into this rigid, fibrous, light-responsive hydrogel is provided, allowing the fabrication of a novel drug delivery system for controlled release of large molecules.
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