Self-Assembling Peptide Hydrogels for Cell Retention and Survival
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cell therapy faces challenges in the implantation, biofabrication, encapsulation, retention, survival, delivery, and protection of biological materials during administration.
Innovation Solution
The use of self-assembling peptide hydrogel materials (SAPM) for suspending and administering biological materials, which are designed to self-assemble into a hydrogel upon contact with a buffer, providing a scaffold for cell delivery and tissue engineering applications, with properties such as shear-thinning, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial activity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cell therapy methods are used for delivering biological materials, then the delivery process can be performed with standard procedures, but the retention, survival, and protection of biological materials during administration deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
A hydrogel composition acts as an intermediary carrier between the biological material and the injection site. The hydrogel encapsulates the biological material (cells, tissues, or cell-derived materials) and provides protection during delivery, improving retention and survival while maintaining a relatively simple injection procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrogel composition changes its physical parameters (from liquid to gel state) in response to physiological conditions such as temperature or pH changes after injection. This phase transition allows the material to remain injectable during administration but form a stable gel structure at the target site for sustained release and protection of the biological material.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If biological materials are administered without a protective carrier, then the administration process is simpler, but offsite toxicity and harmful effects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrogel serves as a protective intermediary that localizes the biological material at the target site, preventing offsite toxicity. The gel matrix encapsulates the biological material, ensuring it remains contained and releases it in a controlled manner, thereby reducing harmful effects while maintaining ease of preparation through simple mixing protocols.
3Duration of action of moving object
If biological materials are delivered with rapid release, then the therapeutic effect is achieved quickly, but the duration of action and sustained therapeutic effect deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrogel composition provides periodic release of the biological material through controlled diffusion and degradation of the gel matrix. This sustained release mechanism maintains therapeutic levels over an extended period, achieving both rapid initial effect and long-duration action without requiring multiple administrations.
4Reliability
If standard injection methods are used for cell delivery, then the injection process is straightforward, but the protection and survival of cells during and after injection deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrogel composition is formulated to remain in a liquid or semi-liquid state during injection (facilitating ease of operation) but transitions to a gel state after injection due to changes in temperature, pH, or ionic strength. This parameter change protects cells during the injection process while providing sustained survival support at the target site, maintaining both simplicity and effectiveness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables effective delivery and retention of biological materials at target sites with enhanced cell viability, reduced offsite toxicity, and controlled release, facilitating therapeutic effects locally and systemically.
Implementation Method 1
The peptide may be configured to self-assemble into a hydrogel
Implementation Method 2
combining the biological material with a thermally stable preparation comprising a purified amphiphilic peptide in an aqueous biocompatible solution and a buffer to form a hydrogel
Implementation Method 3
with properties such as shear-thinning, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial activity
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of administering biological material to a subject are provided. Methods of culturing biological material are also provided. The methods include combining biological material with a thermally stable preparation having a purified amphiphilic peptide in an aqueous biocompatible solution. The peptide has a folding group having a plurality of charged amino acid residues and hydrophobic amino acid residues arranged in a substantially alternative pattern and a turn sequence. The peptide is configured to self-assemble into a hydrogel. The methods include combining the preparation with a buffer having an effective amount of an ionic salt and a biological buffering agent to form the hydrogel. The methods include administering the hydrogel and the biological material to a subject. Methods of biofabricating a hydrogel having biological material are also provided. Methods of facilitating cell therapy are also provided.