Stimuli Responsive Self-Assembled Hydrogel of a Low Molecular Weight Free Dipeptide with Potential for Tunable Drug Delivery

• Published in: Biomacromolecules 2008-08, Vol.9 (8), p.2244-2250
• Main Authors: Panda, Jiban J, Mishra, Aseem, Basu, Atanu, Chauhan, Virander S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line, Tumor; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical - methods; Dipeptides - chemistry; Drug Delivery Systems; General pharmacology; HeLa Cells; Humans; Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate - chemistry; Medical sciences; Mice; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Molecular Conformation; Molecular Weight; Pharmaceutical technology. Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Scattering, Radiation; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
• ISSN: 1525-7797; 1526-4602
• DOI: 10.1021/bm800404z

Bottom-up fabrication by molecular self-assembly is now widely recognized as a potent method for generating interesting and functional nano- and mesoscale structures. Hydrogels from biocompatible molecules are an interesting class of mesoscale assemblies with potential biomedical applications. The self-assembly of a proteolysis resistant aromatic dipeptide containing a conformational constraining residue (ΔPhe) into a stable hydrogel has been studied in this work. The reported dipeptide has free -N and -C termini. The hydrogel was self-supportive, was fractaline in nature, and possessed high mechanical strength. It was responsive to environmental conditions like pH, temperature, and ionic strength. The gel matrix could encapsulate and release bioactive molecules in a sustained manner. The described hydrogel showed no observable cytotoxicity to the HeLa and L929 cell lines in culture.