Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Huyeon Choi, Gaeun Park, Eunhye Shin, Seon Woo Shin, Batakrishna Jana, Seongeon Jin, Sangpil Kim, Huaimin Wang, Sang Kyu Kwak, Bing Xu, Ja-Hyoung Ryu
Summary: Mitochondria-targeting nucleopeptide can sequester ATP by self-assembling, leading to apoptosis of cancer cells.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jun Zheng, Xianwen Song, Zhaoyu Yang, Chao Yin, Weikang Luo, Chunyang Yin, Yaqiong Ni, Yang Wang, Yi Zhang
Summary: Self-assembling hydrogels composed of therapeutic agents offer a promising approach for local drug delivery, with advantages such as biocompatibility, high drug-loading efficiency, low systemic toxicity, and sustained drug release behavior. The self-assembly technique provides better opportunities to improve the precision of pharmaceutical treatment and achieve superior treatment efficacy.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
I. Caglar Tanrikulu, Lianna Dang, Lekha Nelavelli, Aubrey J. Ellison, Bradley D. Olsen, Song Jin, Ronald T. Raines
Summary: This study successfully designed synthetic collagen hydrogels by maximizing the interactions of the triple helix structure of collagen. It further explored the relationship between self-assembly of short CMPs and interfiber association.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
M. Monti, E. Scarel, A. Hassanali, M. Stener, S. Marchesan
Summary: This study uncovers the conformational differences that drive self-assembly of dipeptides into distinct outcomes. Through in silico and experimental data, the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra of self-assembling dipeptides were analyzed, revealing the importance of folded or extended conformers in the self-assembly process.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuanzhi Zhong, Jie Zhan, Guanghui Xu, Yumiao Chen, Qin Qin, Xu Liao, Shaodan Ma, Zhimou Yang, Yanbin Cai
Summary: The study demonstrates the construction of high-performing excimer-based luminescent tools at low molecular concentrations using enzyme-instructed self-assembly. The luminescent supramolecular nanofibers show potential for early cancer diagnosis and expand the application of supramolecular chemistry.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yiming Zhang, Yinghao Ding, Xinxin Li, Debin Zheng, Jie Gao, Zhimou Yang
Summary: Zwitterionic polymer materials have been extensively studied, but zwitterionic peptides supramolecular hydrogel materials are rarely studied. In this study, the preparation of two zwitterionic hydrogels using self-assembled peptides were reported. The differences in structure and function of the zwitterion peptide hydrogels caused by the two preparation methods were compared, with the enzyme induced self-assembly method showing better solubility and lower cytotoxicity.
CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jing Zhang, Yipeng Qin, Yangteng Ou, Yu Shen, Bao Tang, Xiaoyun Zhang, Ziyi Yu
Summary: In this study, a new type of printable ink called photonic granular hydrogel was developed for constructing customized structural colored objects. This ink exhibits dynamic properties and can be used for direct writing of macroscopic structural colored patterns by extrusion 3D printing. It also allows additive color mixing, simplifying the process of nano-synthesis and expanding the color variety of structural colored materials.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mehak Jain, Bart Jan Ravoo
Summary: This study demonstrates that hydrogels can be transformed into self-regulating materials by introducing specific substances, resulting in feedback generation in response to external stimuli. The responsive behavior is driven by interactions between specific enzyme-fuel couples, and can be controlled by varying the concentration of added reduction fuel.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qing Li, Jiwei Min, Jiaxing Zhang, Meital Reches, Yuhe Shen, Rongxin Su, Yuefei Wang, Wei Qi
Summary: Inspired by the regulation of reactive-site phosphorylation, researchers developed peptide-based catecholase mimetics with switchable catalytic activity and high selectivity through the co-assembly of nanofibers comprising peptides and copper ions. Kinase/phosphatase switches were used to control the reversible transition of nanofiber formation and depolymerization, as well as to modulate the active-site microenvironment. The study provides novel avenues for designing biomimetic enzymes with ordered structures and dynamic catalytic activities.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhong Zeng, Ziyun Li, Qili Li, Guangjie Song, Meng Huo
Summary: Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) has been employed as a general strategy to fabricate biomimetic hydrogels and organogels with tailored nanostructures and excellent mechanical properties. The hydrogels with nanostructured spherical domains exhibit remarkable strength, toughness, stretchability, and recoverability, which are attributed to the unique network architecture. The successful fabrication of various nanostructured gels confirms the general feasibility of the PISA strategy and inspires the design of functional nanostructured gels.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zhen Luo, Yujuan Gao, Zhongyu Duan, Yu Yi, Hao Wang
Summary: Mitochondria play a vital role in cancer therapy, with ongoing research focusing on targeted drug development for mitochondria. Particularly, the in situ self-assembling peptide-nanomaterials are considered as a promising technology with great potential for application in cancer treatments.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fuat Topuz
Summary: Thermoresponsive hydrogels were synthesized by cross-linking DNA strands with an isocyanate cross-linker. Scanning force microscopy revealed the ultrastructure of the DNA network and the temperature-mediated transition. Dynamic oscillatory and large deformation creep tests demonstrated the formation of robust cross-linked gels. Scanning electron microscopic analysis showed the non-porous internal morphology of the hydrogel.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yanxin Xiang, Can Liu, Shinan Ma, Xiaoting Wang, Linyong Zhu, Chunyan Bao
Summary: In this study, a pH-responsive peptide (MA-FIID) is designed and introduced into a poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) backbone (PNIPAM) to construct bilayer and heterogeneous hydrogel actuators based on the assembly and disassembly of peptide molecules under different pH conditions. These peptide-containing hydrogel actuators can perform controllable bending, bucking, and complex deformation under pH stimulation. Meanwhile, the Hofmeister effect of PNIPAM hydrogels endows these peptide-containing hydrogels with enhanced mechanical strength, ionic stimulus response (CaCl2), and excellent shape-memory property.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chuang Li, Masoud Kazem-Rostami, James S. W. Seale, Shuailong Zhou, Samuel I. Stupp
Summary: This study designs a polymerizable bisazobenzene-based molecular photoswitch that can drive large-scale volume change and deformation when incorporated into polymer networks. These photoswitchable hydrogels mimic biological motions such as muscular contraction and light-driven bending, and can be used to tune macroscopic properties. This work provides a platform to investigate the relationship between molecular motion and macroscopic actuation.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yichen Yuan, Yejiao Shi, Jayati Banerjee, Amin Sadeghpour, Helena S. Azevedo
Summary: The use of synthetic extracellular matrices (ECMs) has been important in investigating the interaction between cells and matrix components in cell culture studies. To provide cells with a more natural environment, designing matrices that mimic the composition and structure of natural ECMs is desirable. This study presents the supramolecular fabrication of peptide-hyaluronan (HA) hydrogels as potential ECM substitutes, which combine native HA and rationally designed cationic amphipatic peptides.
MATERIALS TODAY BIO
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jing Wang, Liangbo Hu, Hongyue Zhang, Yu Fang, Tingliang Wang, Huaimin Wang
Summary: Biomolecular condensates play a crucial role in controlling cellular functions, but constructing artificial biomolecular condensates remains challenging. This study presents a general approach to construct biomolecular condensates in lysosomes of living cells for cancer therapy, with potential applications in addressing multiple drug resistance.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xuejiao Yang, Honglei Lu, Yinghua Tao, Hongyue Zhang, Huaimin Wang
Summary: This study reports a method to control the fiber alignment, chirality, and stiffness of aromatic peptide hydrogels through heterodimerization of enantiomeric mixtures. The relative ratio of L and D enantiomers can also regulate the adhesion and morphology of mammalian cells. This work provides a new strategy for controlling supramolecular chirality in materials science.
JOURNAL OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yu Fang, Huaimin Wang
Summary: In recent years, hundreds of novel small molecular drugs have been studied in clinical trials for various treatments worldwide. However, less than 10% of these drugs are eventually used due to diverse problems. In order to improve efficacy and efficiency, research has focused on the creation of assemblies of peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) which have shown potential for overcoming complications. This review summarizes the recent developments in the creation of self-assembled nanostructures of PDCs for cancer therapy and discusses the chemical and physical properties of these drugs and peptides, as well as their mechanisms of action and remaining challenges in this field.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qiuxin Zhang, Weiyi Tan, Bing Xu
Summary: Enzymatic noncovalent synthesis (ENS) is a mechanism that utilizes enzymatic reactions to produce spatially organized higher-order supramolecular assemblies, which can modulate cellular processes. This Review highlights the recent progress in the application of ENS for targeted subcellular organelles, showcasing its potential in understanding diseases, controlling cell behaviors, and developing new therapeutics.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Meihui Yi, Fengbin Wang, Weiyi Tan, Jer-Tsong Hsieh, Edward H. Egelman, Bing Xu
Summary: This study demonstrates the use of enzymatic responsive rigid-rod aromatics as substrates to target undruggable phosphatases and kill cancer cells in a bone microenvironment. The compounds effectively kill metastatic prostate cancer cells and mimic osteoblast cells, with high cellular uptake rate.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xuejiao Yang, Bihan Wu, Jiong Zhou, Honglei Lu, Hongyue Zhang, Feihe Huang, Huaimin Wang
Summary: This study demonstrates that host-guest complexation can efficiently regulate enzymatic self-assembly, leading to controlled cancer cell death.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xuejiao Yang, Honglei Lu, Bihan Wu, Huaimin Wang
Summary: This research reports a biocompatible strategy for constructing self-sorted assemblies of peptides in living cells and tumor-bearing mice. The results demonstrate the control of cancer cell migration and tumor penetration ability through the self-assembly of designed peptides. The formation of self-sorted materials can be further programmed by introducing different triggers.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuang Liu, Qiuxin Zhang, Hongjian He, Meihui Yi, Weiyi Tan, Jiaqi Guo, Bing Xu
Summary: In this study, intranuclear nanoribbons formed by dephosphorylation of phosphorylated peptides catalyzed by alkaline phosphatase were demonstrated to selectively kill osteosarcoma cells. These peptides rapidly kill the cancer cells by interacting with histone proteins, while being nontoxic to normal cells.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xuejiao Yang, Honglei Lu, Nan Kong, Huaimin Wang
Summary: The self-assembly of peptides is important in various fields such as optics, catalysis, medicine, and disease treatment. Peptide-based materials have shown great potential for cancer therapy and disease imaging due to their biocompatibility, tunability, and ease of functionality. Peptides can self-assemble into nanostructures in vivo triggered by endogenous stimuli, allowing for chemical reactions and achieving desired biological functions in the tumor microenvironment. This concept introduces the use of endogenous triggers to construct functional nanostructures in vivo and their corresponding biological applications.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Tengyan Xu, Huihui Ren, Yu Fang, Kun Liang, Hongyue Zhang, Dingwei Li, Yitong Chen, Bowen Zhu, Huaimin Wang
Summary: This study presents the first example of a peptidic hydrogel gated bio-FET by surface assisted self-assembly for label-free and real-time monitoring of glucose. The boric acid-containing peptide forms a hydrogel layer on the surface of In2O3, which interacts with glucose reversibly and influences the semiconductor's conductivity. The results demonstrate the superiority of hydrogel gated bio-FET for real-time monitoring of glucose in complex environments and its potential as a wearable device. This work illustrates a simple and fundamental strategy for integrating peptidic hydrogel with bio-FET for the real-time detection of analytes.
APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Dinghao Chen, Nan Kong, Huaimin Wang
Summary: The lack of effective treatments for pulmonary diseases is a global health burden. Direct local gene therapy is an alternative method for treating pulmonary diseases. Compared to conventional viral/nonviral systems, peptide-vector-mediated in vivo lung gene therapies have various benefits. However, clinical trials in this area are still in the early stages. The major obstacle to delivering gene cargoes to the lungs is the presence of various extracellular mucosal layers and intracellular membranes. This review highlights recent developments in peptide-based gene delivery systems and their applications, including the designing rules for barrier-permeable pulmonary gene delivery, the use of oligopeptides for local gene therapy in lung tissue, and alternative hybridizing systems of peptides with other materials.
ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hongyue Zhang, Xuejiao Yang, Juan Liang, Kaihua Chen, Huaimin Wang
Summary: Guanosine-based hydrogels have limitations due to the necessity of sugar in hydrogel formation. A novel G-quadruplexes-based hydrogel was developed by using guanine and peptide epitope in the presence of metal cations. Metal cations can control the gelation time, nanofiber diameter, anisotropic property, and mechanical property of the hydrogel. This work demonstrates a simple way to develop soft materials by modulating the properties of nucleopeptide hydrogel.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Adrianna N. Shy, Jiashu Xu, Beom Jin Kim, Bing Xu
Summary: This study focuses on the enzyme-instructed self-assembly (EISA) of a phosphopeptide (1P) derived from the protein crystal structures of Merlin and CRL4(DCAF-1). The results demonstrate that even with the presence of a hydrophilic peptide, 1P can form a hydrogel at a very low volume fraction. Additionally, diastereomer 2P and enantiomer 3P of 1P are able to form hydrogels via EISA at higher concentrations than 1P.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Huyeon Choi, Gaeun Park, Eunhye Shin, Seon Woo Shin, Batakrishna Jana, Seongeon Jin, Sangpil Kim, Huaimin Wang, Sang Kyu Kwak, Bing Xu, Ja-Hyoung Ryu
Summary: Mitochondria-targeting nucleopeptide can sequester ATP by self-assembling, leading to apoptosis of cancer cells.
