Supramolecular Hydrogels for Protein Delivery in Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Therapeutic proteins, such as growth factors (GFs), have been used in tissue engineering (TE) approaches for their ability to provide signals to cells and orchestrate the formation of functional tissue. However, to be effective and minimize off-target effects, GFs should be delivered at the target site with temporal control. In addition, protein drugs are typically sensitive water soluble macromolecules with delicate structure. As such, hydrogels, containing large amounts of water, provide a compatible environment for the direct incorporation of proteins within the hydrogel network, while their release rate can be tuned by engineering the network chemistry and density. Being formed by transient crosslinks, afforded by non-covalent interactions, supramolecular hydrogels offer important advantages for protein delivery applications. This review describes various types of supramolecular hydrogels using a repertoire of diverse building blocks, their use for protein delivery and their further application in TE contexts. By reviewing the recent literature on this topic, the merits of supramolecular hydrogels are highlighted as well as their limitations, with high expectations for new advances they will provide for TE in the near future.

Self-Assembled Peptide Nanostructures for ECM Biomimicry

“…Readers interested in the details of their various types of design are recommended to read a recent book chapter that provides a comprehensive overview of the topic [24]. Several recent reviews also cover this area [25,26], as well as the use of enzymes to control self-assembly [27], applications for the delivery of drugs and therapeutics [28][29][30][31][32][33], proteins [34,35], and, more generally biomedical uses [36], with a specific focus on antimicrobials [37], cancer [38], and wound healing too [39].…”

Protein Hydrogels: The Swiss Army Knife for Enhanced Mechanical and Bioactive Properties of Biomaterials

“…Nowadays, the majority of protein hydrogels used in drug delivery offer poor control over cargo release, which happens either via diffusion, carrier erosion or in response to some of the stimuli we have quoted. Burst release is a common problem in protein hydrogel delivery systems, requiring further efforts to optimize the release profile [ 194 ]. Most of the existing systems address specific injection and application areas; however, more work needs to be carried out in the development of novel protein hydrogels that can deliver cargo to specific tissues thanks to molecular recognition.…”

Smart Hydrogels Meet Carbon Nanomaterials for New Frontiers in Medicine

“…Hydrogels are soft materials that retain high levels of water that are widely used for their adsorption and delivery properties in areas such as drug [ 1 ] or protein [ 2 ] release, tissue engineering [ 3 , 4 ], and wound healing [ 3 , 5 ]. They are typically composed of a three-dimensional network that traditionally arises from chains of polymers [ 6 ], polysaccharides [ 7 ], proteins [ 8 ], or other macromolecules.…”