Biomaterials

Increasing antibiotic resistance amongst pathogens is alarming. Self-assembling peptides (SAPHs) such as PeptiGel are a class of peptides that can spontaneously organize into well-defined structures, such as fibres, gels, or nanoparticles, under certain conditions. When designed to have antimicrobial properties, these peptides can offer several benefits and face various challenges when used as anti-microbial peptides (AMPs).

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is one of the major structural components of the tumour microenvironment, as it is made up of a network of biochemically different components such as fibrous proteins, glycoproteins, proteoglycans and polysaccharides. This makes its structure highly dynamic with various ECM components being deposited, modified or degraded on a regular basis, and the structure undergoing constant remodelling.

In a technology breakthrough utilizing both PODS and PeptiGel, researchers at the University of California in San Diego have used a microfluidic approach to accurately generate vestibular nerve cells to improve electrical vestibular stimulation (EVS) prosthetic outcomes.

Depot formulations combine an active substance with an excipient to provide controlled release of the active substance over a sustained period of time. Burst release is uncontrolled release which occurs when a large proportion of the active substance in a depot formulation is rapidly released in the first few minutes and hours. Following burst release, a more constant, slow release is then achieved.

Interest in the field of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has increased enormously over the past ten years, thanks in no small part to its ability to precisely place different biomaterials, biomolecules and cell types together in a predefined position to generate printed composite architectures.

Cell therapy is an approach that is being used by many researchers to treat a variety of injuries and diseases. However, there are some challenges associated with it, such as the low rate of cell survival and the uncontrolled differentiation of the injected stem cells. But these are challenges that the use of hydrogels can potentially help to overcome.

Cultured hepatocytes are critical for drug toxicity testing but are not able to maintain their performance levels for long. A new hydrogel is set to improve durability, turning laggard cells into winning performers.

Hydrogels are gel-like materials containing networks of linked polymers swelled with water. Hydrogels that can be used for cell culture come in a huge variety of forms and are used to replicate the function of the extracellular matrix (ECM); the material which surrounds and supports cells in our tissues. This ECM is itself a complex hydrogel.

3D cell culture research these days relies increasingly on self-assembling peptide hydrogels, but what are they and why are they important?

Changes in the composition and components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) can influence cell behaviour. As well as structural proteins, the ECM contains functional proteins which bind to cells and modulate their behaviour. These functional components of hydrogels are critical to consider this when it comes to 3D cell culture.