Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Zhengkun Chen, Sina Kheiri, Albert Gevorkian, Edmond W. K. Young, Valerie Andre, Ted Deisenroth, Eugenia Kumacheva
Summary: Skin cell organotypic micrometre-size 3D aggregates, known as multicellular spheroids, have potential to replace animal models in testing skincare products. A microfluidic platform for dermal fibroblast spheroids (DFSs) growth has been developed to screen active ingredients (AIs) like vitamin C efficiently. The computational simulation suggests that DFSs can serve as a reliable in vitro dermal model for skincare product screening.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Bapan Pramanik, Mohammad M. Islam, Hirak K. Patra
Summary: Regeneration of damaged cornea is crucial in restoring vision for millions of patients. However, the shortage of donor corneas has led to an increasing number of untreated patients on the waiting list. Therefore, innovative alternatives such as peptide-based implants are being explored for corneal replacements and regeneration.
CURRENT OPINION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jia-jun Huang, Hai-lan Li, Guang-quan Xiong, Jun Cai, Tao Liao, Xiao-yan Zu
Summary: By optimizing the enzymatic hydrolysis process, silver carp skin collagen polypeptide (SCSCP) with collagenase inhibition activity was obtained. The secondary structure, molecular weight distribution, and characteristics of peptides were analyzed using various techniques. The results showed that SCSCP achieved anti-photoaging effects through scavenging DPPH and hydroxyl radicals and inhibiting MMP-1 secretion.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Guangyu Rong, Changping Wang, Junfei Hu, Yiwen Li, Yiyun Cheng
Summary: A facile strategy of conjugating peptides with fluorous tags has been developed for efficient intracellular peptide delivery, where dynamic peptide fluoroamphiphiles can self-assemble into nanoparticles and readily cross the cell membrane. This approach allows bioactive peptides to be efficiently internalized and released into the cytosol, showing much higher efficacies than non-fluorous lipids and cell penetrating peptide decorated peptides.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Thomas Babut, Mona Semsarilar, Marc Rolland, Damien Quemener
Summary: In this study, a waterborne approach was proposed to co-assemble peptide amphiphiles (PA) and polyelectrolytes into porous membranes with nanostructured networks. Various production methods were explored to shape the material and optimize the structure, leading to a membrane material in the ultrafiltration range with a pore radius of about 7.6 nm.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
M. Hussain Sangji, Hiroaki Sai, Stacey M. Chin, Sieun Ruth Lee, Ivan R. Sasselli, Liam C. Palmer, Samuel Stupp
Summary: The morphology of supramolecular peptide nanostructures is influenced by factors such as the balance of molecule packing, the diversity of peptide sequences, and the twisting of beta-sheets. Altering the peptide sequence can change the morphology and supramolecular chirality of the nanostructures. Additionally, increasing charge repulsion between molecules leads to a change in morphology.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cristina V. Rodrigues, Rita O. Sousa, Ana C. Carvalho, Ana L. Alves, Catarina F. Marques, Mariana T. Cerqueira, Rui L. Reis, Tiago H. Silva
Summary: The potential of Atlantic codfish skin collagen for skincare was evaluated in this study. The extracted collagen showed similar characteristics to bovine skin collagen and was not cytotoxic to keratinocytes. Collagen membranes developed from the extract exhibited smooth surfaces, good water absorption capacity, and improved metabolic activity and proliferation of keratinocytes. Therefore, these membranes have potential applications in the biomedical and cosmeceutical fields.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Alexandra I. Mercel, Kathleen Marulanda, David C. Gillis, Kui Sun, Tristan D. Clemons, Smaranda Willcox, Jack Griffith, Erica B. Peters, Mark R. Karver, Nick D. Tsihlis, Rob Maile, Samuel I. Stupp, Melina R. Kibbe
Summary: This study successfully identified proteins upregulated in the lung after smoke inhalation injury and developed nanofibers that target these proteins, showing promising lung localization effects in vivo, especially with angiotensin-converting enzyme-targeted nanofibers.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Natalie Tran, Priyanka Shiveshwarkar, Justyn Jaworski
Summary: This study demonstrates a proof-of-concept assay to detect the presence of antibodies by creating vesicles with peptide epitopes that can bind specifically to the antibodies. The vesicles visibly aggregate in response to the specific antibodies, and the density of the peptide epitopes on the vesicles plays a role in antibody binding.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Eliana Veiga, Laura Ferreira, Mafalda Correia, Patricia C. Pires, Huma Hameed, Andre R. T. S. Araujo, Leticia Caramori Cefali, Priscila Gava Mazzola, Hamed Hamishehkar, Francisco Veiga, Ana Claudia Paiva-Santos
Summary: Skin plays a crucial role in personal image and aesthetics, leading consumers to constantly search for innovative and safer options for anti-aging skincare products, such as peptides. However, peptides face challenges in penetrating the skin, requiring formulation technologies to improve their stability and release pattern.
JOURNAL OF DRUG DELIVERY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wenbo Zhang, Mingwei Liu, Lanlan Yu, Shanshan Mo, Zhun Deng, Shuli Liu, Yanlian Yang, Chen Wang, Chenxuan Wang
Summary: This study demonstrates the contribution of various noncovalent interactions to supramolecular assembly by investigating the self-assembly of peptides.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Krister Gjestvang Gronlien, Mona Elisabeth Pedersen, Sissel Beate Ronning, Nina Therese Solberg, Hanne Hjorth
Summary: In this study, lumichrome dissolved by cyclodextrin complexation was used as a photochemical crosslinker of collagen, which significantly shortened the gelation time and improved the elasticity, water absorption properties, and water holding capacity of the hydrogels. Fibroblasts cultivated in lumichrome photocrosslinked gels displayed a myofibroblastic phenotype. These biocompatible photocrosslinked hydrogels could have potential applications in biomedical applications such as wound healing.
MATERIALS TODAY COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fang-Yi Wu, Hsin-Chieh Lin
Summary: Synthetic bioactive aromatic peptide amphiphiles are recognized as key elements of emerging biomedical strategies due to their biocompatibility, design flexibility, and functionality. We investigated the self-assembly driving force of two supramolecular materials and found ordered π-π interactions and secondary structures in both compounds. In cell experiments, PFB-IKVAV showed promise as a potential supramolecular biomaterial for biomedical applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Saurav Das, Tanushree Das, Priyam Das, Debapratim Das
Summary: Nature has developed a self-regulatory feedback mechanism that maintains an optimal internal cellular environment. Researchers have designed a pH responsive supramolecular peptide amphiphile to mimic the inhibitory behavior of certain enzymes. The resulting nanozymes showed tunable lifetimes and efficient reproducibility across multiple pH cycles.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Le Tracy Yu, Jeffrey D. Hartgerink
Summary: Collagen is a protein that plays critical roles in living systems. Researchers are interested in preparing mimics of collagen using a triple helix structure. However, current collagen mimics have limitations such as poor thermal stability and slow folding rates. In this study, the researchers used covalent capture to solve these problems while preserving the native three-dimensional structure critical for biological function. They also developed a strategy to selectively capture specific charge paired residues, which expands the utility of covalent capture approach to stabilize biomimetic triple helices. The researchers demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach using peptides derived from Pulmonary Surfactant protein A (SP-A).
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Valeria Castelletto, Ian W. Hamley
Summary: It has been demonstrated that a conserved coronavirus spike protein peptide can form amyloid structures, which has implications for the stability of the spike protein conformation and potential functional material applications.
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Anastassia Kostenko, Stephen Swioklo, Che J. Connon
Summary: This review discusses the use of alginate as a building block for therapeutic drugs or cell delivery systems to enhance drug retention and promote corneal regeneration. Alginate is considered a promising support structure with desirable drug carrier properties. The role of alginate in corneal applications is explored, and different biofabrication techniques are compared. Additionally, the use of alginate for cell and tissue encapsulation is discussed to expand the scope of cell-based therapy for corneal blindness.
BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elisabetta Rosa, Lucas de Mello, Valeria Castelletto, Mark L. Dallas, Antonella Accardo, Jani Seitsonen, Ian W. Hamley
Summary: This study investigates the conformation and self-assembly behavior of four lipopeptides, and examines their potential applications in tissue engineering based on cytocompatibility assessments. The results show that all four lipopeptides can self-assemble into nanostructures at specific concentrations. Furthermore, these lipopeptides demonstrate promising prospects in tissue engineering.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Anastassia Kostenko, Che J. Connon, Stephen Swioklo
Summary: Over the last decade, significant progress has been made in three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting, which has the potential to create complex structures with live cells for drug discovery and tissue engineering. To ensure successful clinical applications, the logistics of bioprinting need to be considered, including storage and transportation. The use of alginate, a natural biopolymer, for both storage and on-demand bioprinting of cells has not been previously investigated.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2023)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ian W. Hamley
Summary: This review focuses on the self-assembly, structural and functional properties of peptide conjugates containing bulky terminal aromatic substituents, with a particular emphasis on bioactivity. The driving force for self-assembly comes from pi-stacking and hydrophobic interactions, as well as hydrogen bonding, electrostatics, and other forces between short peptides. The balance of these interactions leads to a propensity for self-assembly, even for single amino acid conjugates. The resulting molecules often form hydrogels built from beta-sheet fibrils, with applications in biomaterials, drug delivery, catalysis, and optoelectronics.
ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Valeria Castelletto, Jani Seitsonen, Ian W. W. Hamley
Summary: This study investigates the self-assembly behavior of two monodisperse lipid A derivatives based on bacterial LPS structures in water and compares them to native Escherichia coli LPS using small-angle X-ray scattering and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. The critical aggregation concentration and conformation are characterized using fluorescence probe experiments and circular dichroism spectroscopy, respectively. The E. coli LPS forms wormlike micelles, while the synthetic analogues self-assemble into nanosheets or vesicles depending on the number of lipid chains and saccharide head groups. These findings can be rationalized based on the surfactant packing parameter.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Biswanath Hansda, Jhilam Majumder, Biplab Mondal, Akash Chatterjee, Subhadeep Das, Sourav Kumar, Ratan Gachhui, Valeria Castelletto, Ian W. Hamley, Prosenjit Sen, Arindam Banerjee
Summary: A histidine-based amphiphilic peptide (P) was discovered to form an injectable transparent hydrogel with inherent antibacterial property in phosphate buffer solution. The peptide self-assembles into a nanofibrillar network structure and exhibits efficient antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The hydrogel can also encapsulate and selectively release drugs, making it a potential antibacterial and drug delivering agent.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Valeria Castelletto, Lucas de Mello, Emerson Rodrigo da Silva, Jani Seitsonen, Ian W. Hamley
Summary: Considerable interest has been shown in peptides with the Fmoc protecting group, as it can promote self-assembly and has applications in cell culture biomaterials. New amino acid analogues with the Smoc protecting group have been developed for water-based peptide synthesis. Self-assembly of Smoc-Ala, Smoc-Phe, and Smoc-Arg occurs above the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) and forms nanosheet, nanoribbon, or nanotube structures. Smoc-amino acids show excellent biocompatibility and are taken up by fibroblast cells without cytotoxicity.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Thiago C. Lourenco, Lucas R. de Mello, Marcelo Y. Icimoto, Renata N. Bicev, Ian W. Hamley, Valeria Castelletto, Clovis R. Nakaie, Emerson R. da Silva
Summary: This study presents a strategy for fabricating highly ordered 1D nanostructures of Bradykinin (BK) using DNA fragments as a template for self-assembly. The nanoscale structure of BK-DNA complexes was revealed, showing the formation of ordered nanofibrils. The complexes retained the native bioactivity of BK and could induce a limited uptake of nucleotides by HEK-293t cells, which has not been previously reported.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Elisabetta Rosa, Carlo Diaferia, Lucas De Mello, Jani Seitsonen, Ian W. Hamley, Antonella Accardo
Summary: Short and ultra-short peptides are now being used as building blocks for self-assembled materials, with peptide aggregation being influenced by the amino acids in the sequence as well as their ability to interact with each other. By modifying peptides with polymeric moieties, alkyl chains, or other organic molecules, further structural and functional properties can be achieved. In this study, we synthesized and investigated the aggregation behavior of peptide amphiphiles (PAs) containing cationic tetra- or hexa-peptides derivatized with an alkyl chain. These PAs were able to form highly ordered nanostructures and biocompatible hydrogels, showing potential for tissue engineering and diagnostic applications.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jinghua Liu, Jingqing Li, Binyuan Liu, Ian W. Hamley, Shichun Jiang
Summary: The Mpemba effect and its inverse can be explained by nonequilibrium thermodynamics. While changes of state in polymers are generally non-equilibrium processes, the Mpemba effect is rarely seen in their crystallization. Polybutene-1 (PB-1) has the lowest critical cooling rate among polyolefins and tends to maintain its original structure and properties in the melt. Experimental observations confirm the presence of the Mpemba effect in both the crystallization of PB-1 in form II and form I obtained at low melting temperatures.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Biswanath Hansda, Biplab Mondal, Soumyajit Hazra, Krishna Sundar Das, Valeria Castelletto, Ian W. Hamley, Arindam Banerjee
Summary: Peptide-based multicomponent hydrogels offer tunable mechanical properties and physical characteristics, demonstrating good cell compatibility and sustained drug release capabilities, and have the potential to serve as scaffold materials for tissue engineering.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Biplab Mondal, Vivek Kumar Gupta, Biswanath Hansda, Arpita Bhoumik, Tanushree Mondal, Hemanta K. Majumder, Charlotte J. C. Edwards-Gayle, Ian W. Hamley, Parasuraman Jaisankar, Arindam Banerjee
Summary: Nanoscale self-assembly of peptide constructs is a promising approach for developing functional materials with bioactive properties. This study focuses on peptide amphiphdes that form hydrogels and have shown potential anti-microbial and anti-parasitic activities, particularly against drug-resistant strains of Leishmania. The amphiphdes were synthesized and characterized, and their self-assembly, gelation behavior, and properties were investigated. The results demonstrate that these gelators have both antibacterial and antiparasitic activities, making them promising therapeutic agents against leishmaniasis.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Barbara B. Gerbelli, Pedro L. O. Filho, Bruna Cortez, Pedro T. Sodre, Mauricio D. Coutinho-Neto, Ian W. Hamley, Jani Seitsonen, Wendel A. Alves
Summary: The use of lipopeptide sequences as biomimetic microenvironments of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has shown higher catalytic activities than natural enzymes in water solution, potentially valuable for pesticide detection.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2022)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ian W. Hamley
Summary: This review discusses the use of peptide epitopes as antigens in vaccine development, focusing on their potential in clinical trials and as future vaccine candidates. It covers peptides used in immunotherapies for infectious diseases and cancer vaccines, as well as their application in stimulating non-specific immune responses and as self-adjuvanting peptides. The review highlights the specificity of the immune response that can be achieved using peptide epitopes and the potential for future therapies.
ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS
(2022)
