D-Chirality Peptide Hydrogel for Immune Modulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current biomaterials for immune modulation and wound healing are unpredictable in their biological activity and lack effective methods to enhance immune responses and tissue regeneration, particularly in modulating immune reactions and improving wound tensile strength.

Innovation Solution

A hydrogel scaffold coupled with D-chirality peptides, specifically a Matrix Metalloprotease (MMP) peptide, is used to enhance immune reactions and tissue healing by increasing CD11b+ immune cell infiltration and antibody production, thereby improving wound tensile strength and immune response modulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If L-amino acid peptides are used in hydrogel scaffolds, then the material is biocompatible and integrates with surrounding tissue, but the immune response is insufficient and wound healing is not accelerated

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovebiocompatibilityVSAvoidimmune response enhancement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies chirality asymmetry by using D-amino acids instead of the conventional L-amino acids in the peptide sequence. This asymmetric modification creates a novel biomaterial that the immune system recognizes as foreign, thereby enhancing immune response while maintaining the biocompatible hydrogel scaffold structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical parameter of amino acid chirality from L-configuration to D-configuration in the peptide sequence. This parameter change transforms the biomaterial from immunologically inert to immunologically active, enabling enhanced immune response and accelerated wound healing while preserving tissue integration capabilities

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If D-chirality peptides are used in hydrogel scaffolds, then immune response and wound healing are enhanced, but the material may exhibit increased inflammatory reactions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewound healing rateVSAvoidinflammatory reaction
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the potentially harmful inflammatory reaction into a beneficial force by using D-amino acid peptides to deliberately induce controlled inflammation. This controlled inflammatory response accelerates wound healing by recruiting immune cells and activating tissue regeneration processes, transforming what is typically considered a harmful side effect into a therapeutic mechanism

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional biomaterials are used for immune modulation, then the material structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the biological activity is unpredictable and lacks effectiveness in enhancing immune responses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial simplicityVSAvoidbiological activity predictability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite biomaterial by incorporating D-amino acid peptides into the hydrogel scaffold structure. This composite approach combines the structural benefits of conventional hydrogels with the immunomodulatory properties of D-peptides, achieving predictable and effective immune response enhancement while maintaining manufacturability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP3439697B1Hydrogel for engineered immune response to d-chirality peptides
Publication Date: 2024.06.05 RGT UNIV OF CALIFORNIA
  • EP3439697B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3439697B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3439697B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

An immune-modulating biomaterial comprising a hydrogel scaffold coupled to D-amino acid containing peptides having unexpected properties in vivo is described. For example, certain inflammatory reactions in vivo are significantly increased around the D-peptide containing particles of hydrogel scaffold as compared to particles that contain both L and D peptides or L peptides alone. In addition, these D-peptide compositions are further observed to enhance wound healing and improve the tensile strength of healed tissues. For these and other reasons, the D-amino acid hydrogel materials disclosed herein are useful in a number of methodologies that seek to modulate the immune response and/or wound healing.