Introduction to peptide soft materials
Arindam Banerjee and Ian W. Hamley introduce the Soft Matter themed collection on peptide soft materials.
Amyloids and their untapped potential as hydrogelators
Amyloid fibrils are cross-β-sheet-rich fibrous aggregates. The fibrils can entangle to form a 3-dimensional network that can eventually turn into hydrogel, with or without specific triggers.
Low molecular weight self-assembling peptide-based materials for cell culture, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, anticancer, drug delivery, bioimaging and 3D bioprinting applications
This article emphasizes on the rational design and development of self-assembling peptide-based materials for cell culture, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, wound healing, drug delivery, bioimaging and 3D bioprinting applications.
Exploring the properties and potential biomedical applications of NSAID-capped peptide hydrogels
This review summarises the work published by our research group, alongside other research groups, on supramolecular hydrogels consisting of short peptides conjugated to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Recent trends in the development of peptide and protein-based hydrogel therapeutics for the healing of CNS injury
This review article represents an overview of peptide and protein based hydrogel therapeutics as a gradually emerging excellent tissue engineering scaffold as well as drug delivery dais to treat severe CNS injury and its associated complications.
Recent advances in the fabrication, functionalization, and bioapplications of peptide hydrogels
The structural and functional tailoring of peptide hydrogels promotes their bio-related applications.
Affinity-based thermoresponsive fluorescence switching of proteins conjugated with a polymer-binding peptide
Affinity-based thermoresponsive fluorescence switching of proteins conjugated with a polymer-binding peptide is demonstrated. Specific affinity of the peptide and thermoresponsive structural transitions of the polymer are essential for the switching.
The ratio of hydrogelator to precursor controls the enzymatic hydrogelation of a branched peptide
Here, we report an apparently counterintuitive observation, in which a lower volume fraction of a branched peptide forms a stronger hydrogel after an enterokinase (ENTK) cleaves off the branch from the peptide.
Aggregation propensity of therapeutic fibrin-homing pentapeptides: insights from experiments and molecular dynamics simulations
CREKA (Cys–Arg–Glu–Lys–Ala) and its engineered analogue CRMeEKA, (N-methyl-Glu instead of Glu), are emerging pentapeptides that were specifically designed to bind fibrin–fibronectin complexes accumulated in the walls of tumour vessels.
Impact of gelation method on thixotropic properties of phenylalanine-derived supramolecular hydrogels
Supramolecular hydrogels formed by noncovalent self-assembly of low molecular weight (LMW) agents are promising next-generation biomaterials.
Supramolecular hydrogels from unprotected dipeptides: a comparative study on stereoisomers and structural isomers
Unprotected dipeptides are studied for self-assembly into hydrogels and single-crystal XRD data reveal key insights in the supramolecular interactions.
Time matters for macroscopic membranes formed by alginate and cationic β-sheet peptides
The peptide age and membrane geometry affect the micro- and nano-structure of hierarchically ordered planar and spherical membranes constructed at the interface of cationic β-sheet peptides and alginate solution.
Effects of fluoro substitutions and electrostatic interactions on the self-assembled structures and hydrogelation of tripeptides: tuning the mechanical properties of co-assembled hydrogels
A series of FFK tripeptides capped with phenylacetic acid of various fluoro-substitutions at the N-terminus has been synthesized and examined for self-assembly under aqueous conditions.
A spectroscopic and molecular dynamics study on the aggregation process of a long-acting lipidated therapeutic peptide: the case of semaglutide
The aggregation of semaglutide was followed from the early time steps to the late formation of mesoscopic dendrimeric structures.
Acid-responsive fibrillation and urease-assisted defibrillation of phenylalanine: a transient supramolecular hydrogel
A mimic of living systems has been achieved by the acid-responsive assembly and urease-assisted disassembly of fibrils from benzyloxycarbonyl-L-phenylalanine, leading to a transient supramolecular hydrogel.
The aging effect on the enhancement of thermal stability, mechanical stiffness and fluorescence properties of histidine-appended naphthalenediimide based two-component hydrogels
Two-component hydrogels show remarkable advancement in thermal and mechanical stabilities, and fluorescent intensity upon an unusual aging effect.
Bi-functional peptide-based 3D hydrogel-scaffolds
Over the last few years, hydrogels have been proposed for many biomedical applications, including drug delivery systems and scaffolds for tissue engineering.
Directed self-assembly of peptide–diketopyrrolopyrrole conjugates – a platform for bio-organic thin film preparation
Increased water solubility and long-range intermolecular ordering have been introduced into the fluorescent organic molecule thiophene-diketopyrrolopyrrole via its conjugation to the octapeptide HEFISTAH, derived from a protein–protein β-interface.
Self-assembly and intracellular delivery of DNA by a truncated fragment derived from the Trojan peptide Penetratin
A heptamer containing the longest noncationic amino acid sequence of Penetratin is shown to form peptiplexes with DNA. The structure is characterized from molecular to nanoscopic scale and peptiplexes are shown to assist intracell delivery of DNA.
Polymorphism of asymmetric catalysts based on amphiphilic lipopeptides in solution
The self-assembly of model [P]RWG lipopeptides (P: L-proline, R: L-arginine, W: L-tryptophan, G: L-glycine), containing one or two aliphatic octadecyl (C18) chains in water and cyclohexanone/water solutions was examined. The enantiomeric selectivity was found to be related to the assembly of catalyst molecules.
Chemical stimulus-responsive supramolecular hydrogel formation and shrinkage of a hydrazone-containing short peptide derivative
Herein, we describe a short peptide derivative containing a hydrazone bond showing transient hydrogel formation triggered by hydrazone–oxime exchange reaction.
About this collection
This special issue, Guest Edited by Arindam Banerjee, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, and Ian Hamley, University of Reading, focuses on peptide soft materials in their broadest sense and covers the development of peptide soft materials such as peptide-based hydro- and organo-gels, nanostructured peptide biomaterials, emulsions and capsules.
The issue presents examples of the diverse applications of soft matter peptide systems as responsive materials for diagnostics, therapeutics and remediation with particular relevance to new biomedical applications. It also discusses state-of-the-art examples of novel peptide hybrid systems, in which peptides are combined (covalently or in mixture formulations) with polymers, lipids, polysaccharides and nucleic acids.