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Coulter SM, Pentlavalli S, Vora LK, An Y, Cross ER, Peng K, McAulay K, Schweins R, Donnelly RF, McCarthy HO, Laverty G. Enzyme-Triggered l-α/d-Peptide Hydrogels as a Long-Acting Injectable Platform for Systemic Delivery of HIV/AIDS Drugs. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2203198. [PMID: 36880399 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202203198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Eradicating HIV/AIDS by 2030 is a central goal of the World Health Organization. Patient adherence to complicated dosage regimens remains a key barrier. There is a need for convenient long-acting formulations that deliver drugs over sustained periods. This paper presents an alternative platform, an injectable in situ forming hydrogel implant to deliver a model antiretroviral drug (zidovudine [AZT]) over 28 days. The formulation is a self-assembling ultrashort d or l-α peptide hydrogelator, namely phosphorylated (naphthalene-2-ly)-acetyl-diphenylalanine-lysine-tyrosine-OH (NapFFKY[p]-OH), covalently conjugated to zidovudine via an ester linkage. Rheological analysis demonstrates phosphatase enzyme instructed self-assembly, with hydrogels forming within minutes. Small angle neutron scattering data suggest hydrogels form narrow radius (≈2 nm), large length fibers closely fitting the flexible cylinder elliptical model. d-Peptides are particularly promising for long-acting delivery, displaying protease resistance for 28 days. Drug release, via hydrolysis of the ester linkage, progress under physiological conditions (37 °C, pH 7.4, H2 O). Subcutaneous administration of Napffk(AZT)Y[p]G-OH in Sprague Dawley rats demonstrate zidovudine blood plasma concentrations within the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) range (30-130 ng mL-1 ) for 35 days. This work is a proof-of-concept for the development of a long-acting combined injectable in situ forming peptide hydrogel implant. These products are imperative given their potential impact on society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M Coulter
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Sreekanth Pentlavalli
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Lalitkumar K Vora
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Yuming An
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Emily R Cross
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Ke Peng
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Kate McAulay
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Joseph Black Building, Glasgow, Scotland, G12 8QQ, UK
- School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, Scotland, G4 0BA, UK
| | - Ralf Schweins
- Large Scale Structures Group, Institut Laue - Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 20156, Grenoble Cedex 9, 38042, France
| | - Ryan F Donnelly
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Helen O McCarthy
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Garry Laverty
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
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2
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Bhattacharyya T, Panda D, Dash J. Supramolecular Template-Directed In Situ Click Chemistry: A Bioinspired Approach to Synthesize G-Quadruplex DNA Ligands. Org Lett 2021; 23:3004-3009. [PMID: 33830771 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.1c00685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The assembly of guanosine and boronic acids produces anionic hydrogels (G-B hydrogels) that mimic the topology of the DNA G-quadruplex. We herein demonstrate an unconventional approach of using the G-B hydrogel as a supramolecular template that assembles the irreversible formation of DNA G-quadruplex-selective 1,4-triazole ligands from a pool of alkyne-azide building blocks. These generated ligands could also stabilize and strengthen the gel assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanima Bhattacharyya
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Deepanjan Panda
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Jyotirmayee Dash
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
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3
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Abstract
Enzymatic reactions and noncovalent (i.e., supramolecular) interactions are two fundamental nongenetic attributes of life. Enzymatic noncovalent synthesis (ENS) refers to a process where enzymatic reactions control intermolecular noncovalent interactions for spatial organization of higher-order molecular assemblies that exhibit emergent properties and functions. Like enzymatic covalent synthesis (ECS), in which an enzyme catalyzes the formation of covalent bonds to generate individual molecules, ENS is a unifying theme for understanding the functions, morphologies, and locations of molecular ensembles in cellular environments. This review intends to provide a summary of the works of ENS within the past decade and emphasize ENS for functions. After comparing ECS and ENS, we describe a few representative examples where nature uses ENS, as a rule of life, to create the ensembles of biomacromolecules for emergent properties/functions in a myriad of cellular processes. Then, we focus on ENS of man-made (synthetic) molecules in cell-free conditions, classified by the types of enzymes. After that, we introduce the exploration of ENS of man-made molecules in the context of cells by discussing intercellular, peri/intracellular, and subcellular ENS for cell morphogenesis, molecular imaging, cancer therapy, and other applications. Finally, we provide a perspective on the promises of ENS for developing molecular assemblies/processes for functions. This review aims to be an updated introduction for researchers who are interested in exploring noncovalent synthesis for developing molecular science and technologies to address societal needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjian He
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Weiyi Tan
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Jiaqi Guo
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Meihui Yi
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Adrianna N Shy
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
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4
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Wang J, Jia J, Wang Y, Xing Q, Peng X, Qi W, Su R, He Z. Protamine-induced condensation of peptide nanofilaments into twisted bundles with controlled helical geometry. J Pept Sci 2019; 25:e3176. [PMID: 31309673 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chiral self-assembly of peptides is of fundamental interest in the field of biology and material science. Protamine, an alkaline biomacromolecule which is ubiquitous in fish and mammalian, plays crucial roles in directing the helical twisting of DNA. Inspired by this, we reported a bioinspired pathway to direct the hierarchical chiral self-assembly of a short synthetic dipeptide. The peptide could self-assemble into negatively charged chiral micelles in water that spontaneously formed a nematic liquid crystalline phase. By incorporation with protamine, the micelles condensed with the protamine into large helical bundles with precisely controlled diameter. Furthermore, to simulate the intracellular environments, we investigated macromolecular crowding on the coassembly of peptide and protamine, which leads to the formation of much thinner helical structures. The results highlight the roles of highly charged biomacromolecules and macromolecular crowding on peptide self-assembly, which are beneficial for the practical applications of self-assembling peptides in biomedicine and sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Jiajia Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Yuefei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Membrane Science and Desalination Technology, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Qiguo Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Xin Peng
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Wei Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, PR China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Membrane Science and Desalination Technology, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Rongxin Su
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, PR China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Membrane Science and Desalination Technology, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Zhimin He
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
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5
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Zhou J, Li J, Du X, Xu B. Supramolecular biofunctional materials. Biomaterials 2017; 129:1-27. [PMID: 28319779 PMCID: PMC5470592 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
This review discusses supramolecular biofunctional materials, a novel class of biomaterials formed by small molecules that are held together via noncovalent interactions. The complexity of biology and relevant biomedical problems not only inspire, but also demand effective molecular design for functional materials. Supramolecular biofunctional materials offer (almost) unlimited possibilities and opportunities to address challenging biomedical problems. Rational molecular design of supramolecular biofunctional materials exploit powerful and versatile noncovalent interactions, which offer many advantages, such as responsiveness, reversibility, tunability, biomimicry, modularity, predictability, and, most importantly, adaptiveness. In this review, besides elaborating on the merits of supramolecular biofunctional materials (mainly in the form of hydrogels and/or nanoscale assemblies) resulting from noncovalent interactions, we also discuss the advantages of small peptides as a prevalent molecular platform to generate a wide range of supramolecular biofunctional materials for the applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, immunology, cancer therapy, fluorescent imaging, and stem cell regulation. This review aims to provide a brief synopsis of recent achievements at the intersection of supramolecular chemistry and biomedical science in hope of contributing to the multidisciplinary research on supramolecular biofunctional materials for a wide range of applications. We envision that supramolecular biofunctional materials will contribute to the development of new therapies that will ultimately lead to a paradigm shift for developing next generation biomaterials for medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Xuewen Du
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
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6
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7
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Preparation of collagen/hydroxyapatite/alendronate hybrid hydrogels as potential scaffolds for bone regeneration. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2016; 143:81-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2016.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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8
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Peters GM, Davis JT. Supramolecular gels made from nucleobase, nucleoside and nucleotide analogs. Chem Soc Rev 2016; 45:3188-206. [PMID: 27146863 DOI: 10.1039/c6cs00183a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Supramolecular or molecular gels are attractive for various applications, including diagnostics, tissue scaffolding and targeted drug release. Gelators derived from natural products are of particular interest for biomedical purposes, as they are generally biocompatible and stimuli-responsive. The building blocks of nucleic acids (i.e. nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides) are desirable candidates for supramolecular gelation as they readily engage in reversible, noncovalent interactions. In this review, we describe a number of organo- and hydrogels formed through the assembly of nucleosides, nucleotides, and their derivatives. While natural nucleosides and nucleotides generally require derivatization to induce gelation, guanosine and its corresponding nucleotides are well known gelators. This unique gelating ability is due to propensity of the guanine nucleobase to self-associate into stable higher-order assemblies, such as G-ribbons, G4-quartets, and G-quadruplexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gretchen Marie Peters
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E. 24th Street, Stop A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, USA.
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9
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Yuan D, Shi J, Du X, Huang Y, Gao Y, Xu B. The Enzyme-instructed assembly of the core of yeast prion Sup35 to form supramolecular hydrogels. J Mater Chem B 2016; 4:1318-1323. [PMID: 27134750 PMCID: PMC4845953 DOI: 10.1039/c5tb02346g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Based on the self-assembly capability of the core segment (GNNQQNY) of yeast prion Sup35, we design and synthesis a series of structurally related precursors for enzymatic formation of hydrogels. We found that, with the catalysis of alkaline phosphatase, the precursor becomes a hydrogelator that self-assembles in water to form nanofibers with an average width less than ten nanometers. Interestingly, the introduction of amyloid segment into a cytotoxic precursor (N'ffyp: D-1P) is able to abrogate the cytotoxicity of the precursor, making the resulting peptide to be cell compatible. This work contributes a new insight to the use of enzyme to form cell compatible hydrogels of peptides cross-β spine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Yuan
- 415 South Street, MS 015, Waltham, MA 02453, USA. Fax: 781-736-2516; Tel: 781-736-5201
| | - Junfeng Shi
- 415 South Street, MS 015, Waltham, MA 02453, USA. Fax: 781-736-2516; Tel: 781-736-5201
| | - Xuewen Du
- 415 South Street, MS 015, Waltham, MA 02453, USA. Fax: 781-736-2516; Tel: 781-736-5201
| | - Yibing Huang
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Jilin University, 2599 Qianjin St., Changchun 130012, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- 415 South Street, MS 015, Waltham, MA 02453, USA. Fax: 781-736-2516; Tel: 781-736-5201
| | - Bing Xu
- 415 South Street, MS 015, Waltham, MA 02453, USA. Fax: 781-736-2516; Tel: 781-736-5201
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10
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De Leon Rodriguez LM, Hemar Y, Cornish J, Brimble MA. Structure–mechanical property correlations of hydrogel forming β-sheet peptides. Chem Soc Rev 2016; 45:4797-824. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cs00941c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
This review discusses about β-sheet peptide structure at the molecular level and the bulk mechanical properties of the corresponding hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yacine Hemar
- School of Chemical Sciences
- The University of Auckland
- Auckland
- New Zealand
- The Riddet Institute
| | - Jillian Cornish
- Department of Medicine
- The University of Auckland
- Auckland
- New Zealand
| | - Margaret A. Brimble
- School of Chemical Sciences
- The University of Auckland
- Auckland
- New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery
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11
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Melchionna M, Styan KE, Marchesan S. The Unexpected Advantages of Using D-Amino Acids for Peptide Self- Assembly into Nanostructured Hydrogels for Medicine. Curr Top Med Chem 2016; 16:2009-18. [PMID: 26876522 PMCID: PMC5374841 DOI: 10.2174/1568026616999160212120302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembled peptide hydrogels have brought innovation to the medicinal field, not only as responsive biomaterials but also as nanostructured therapeutic agents or as smart drug delivery systems. D-amino acids are typically introduced to increase the peptide enzymatic stability. However, there are several reports of unexpected effects on peptide conformation, self-assembly behavior, cytotoxicity and even therapeutic activity. This mini-review discusses all the surprising twists of heterochiral self-assembled peptide hydrogels, and delineates emerging key findings to exploit all the benefits of D-amino acids in this novel medicinal area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Silvia Marchesan
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
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12
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Du X, Zhou J, Shi J, Xu B. Supramolecular Hydrogelators and Hydrogels: From Soft Matter to Molecular Biomaterials. Chem Rev 2015; 115:13165-307. [PMID: 26646318 PMCID: PMC4936198 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1278] [Impact Index Per Article: 142.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In this review we intend to provide a relatively comprehensive summary of the work of supramolecular hydrogelators after 2004 and to put emphasis particularly on the applications of supramolecular hydrogels/hydrogelators as molecular biomaterials. After a brief introduction of methods for generating supramolecular hydrogels, we discuss supramolecular hydrogelators on the basis of their categories, such as small organic molecules, coordination complexes, peptides, nucleobases, and saccharides. Following molecular design, we focus on various potential applications of supramolecular hydrogels as molecular biomaterials, classified by their applications in cell cultures, tissue engineering, cell behavior, imaging, and unique applications of hydrogelators. Particularly, we discuss the applications of supramolecular hydrogelators after they form supramolecular assemblies but prior to reaching the critical gelation concentration because this subject is less explored but may hold equally great promise for helping address fundamental questions about the mechanisms or the consequences of the self-assembly of molecules, including low molecular weight ones. Finally, we provide a perspective on supramolecular hydrogelators. We hope that this review will serve as an updated introduction and reference for researchers who are interested in exploring supramolecular hydrogelators as molecular biomaterials for addressing the societal needs at various frontiers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuewen Du
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Jie Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Junfeng Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
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13
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Abstract
Being driven by non-covalent interactions, the formation of functional assemblies (or aggregates) of small molecules at nanoscale is a more common process in water than one would think. While most efforts on self-assembly in cellular environment concentrate on the assemblies of proteins (e.g., microtubules or amyloid fibers), nanoscale assemblies of small molecules are emerging functional entities that exhibit important biological function in cellular environments. This review describes the increasing efforts on the exploration of nanoscale assemblies of small molecules that largely originate from the serendipitous observations in research fields other than nanoscience and technology. Specifically, we describe that nanoscale assemblies of small molecules exhibit unique biological functions in extracellular and intracellular environment, thus inducing various cellular responses, like causing cell death or promoting cell proliferation. We first survey certain common feature of nanoscale molecular assemblies, then discuss several specific examples, such as, nanoscale assemblies of small peptides accumulated in the cells for selectively inhibiting cancer cells via promiscuous interactions with proteins, and nanoscale assemblies of a glycoconjugate for promoting the proliferation of stem cells or for suppressing immune responses. Subsequently, we emphasize the spatiotemporal control of nanoscale assemblies for controlling the cell fate, particularly illustrate a paradigm-shifting approach-enzyme-instructed self-assembly (EISA), that is, the integration of enzymatic reaction and self-assembly-for generating nanoscale assemblies from innocuous monomers for selectively inhibiting cancer cells. Moreover, we introduce a convenient assay for proteomic study of the proteins that interact with nanoscale assemblies of small molecules in cellular environment. Furthermore, we introduce the use of ligand-receptor interaction to catalyze the formation of nanoscale assemblies. By illustrating these experimental strategies for controlling the formation of nanoscale assemblies of small molecules and for identifying their corresponding protein targets, we aim to highlight that, though not being defined at the genetic level, nanoscale assemblies of small molecules are able to perform many critical biological functions. We envision that nanoscale assemblies of small molecules are a new frontier at the intersection of nanoscience and cell biology and biomedicine. In addition, we discuss the challenges and perspectives of relevant potential biomedical applications of nanoscale assemblies of small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South St. MS 015, Waltham, MA 02454
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South St. MS 015, Waltham, MA 02454
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Datta S, Bhattacharya S. Multifarious facets of sugar-derived molecular gels: molecular features, mechanisms of self-assembly and emerging applications. Chem Soc Rev 2015; 44:5596-637. [PMID: 26023922 DOI: 10.1039/c5cs00093a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The remarkable capability of nature to design and create excellent self-assembled nano-structures, especially in the biological world, has motivated chemists to mimic such systems with synthetic molecular and supramolecular systems. The hierarchically organized self-assembly of low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) based on non-covalent interactions has been proven to be a useful tool in the development of well-defined nanostructures. Among these, the self-assembly of sugar-derived LMWGs has received immense attention because of their propensity to furnish biocompatible, hierarchical, supramolecular architectures that are macroscopically expressed in gel formation. This review sheds light on various aspects of sugar-derived LMWGs, uncovering their mechanisms of gelation, structural analysis, and tailorable properties, and their diverse applications such as stimuli-responsiveness, sensing, self-healing, environmental problems, and nano and biomaterials synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sougata Datta
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
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15
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Zhou J, Xu B. Enzyme-instructed self-assembly: a multistep process for potential cancer therapy. Bioconjug Chem 2015; 26:987-99. [PMID: 25933032 PMCID: PMC4533114 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.5b00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2015] [Revised: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The central dogma of the action of current anticancer drugs is that the drug tightly binds to its molecular target for inhibition. The reliance on tight ligand-receptor binding, however, is also the major root of drug resistance in cancer therapy. In this article, we highlight enzyme-instructed self-assembly (EISA)-the integration of enzymatic transformation and molecular self-assembly-as a multistep process for the development of cancer therapy. Using apoptosis as an example, we illustrate that the combination of enzymatic transformation and self-assembly, in fact, is an inherent feature of apoptosis. After the introduction of EISA of small molecules in the context of supramolecular hydrogelation, we describe several key studies to underscore the promises of EISA for developing cancer therapy. Particularly, we will highlight that EISA allows one to develop approaches to target "undruggable" targets or "untargetable" features of cancer cells and provides the opportunity for simultaneously interacting with multiple targets. We envision that EISA, used separately or in combination with current anticancer therapeutics, will ultimately lead to a paradigm shift for developing anticancer medicine that inhibit multiple hallmark capabilities of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
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16
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Yuan D, Du X, Shi J, Zhou N, Zhou J, Xu B. Mixing biomimetic heterodimers of nucleopeptides to generate biocompatible and biostable supramolecular hydrogels. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015; 54:5705-8. [PMID: 25783774 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201412448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Revised: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
As a new class of biomaterials, most supramolecular hydrogels formed by small peptides require the attachment of long alkyl chains, multiple aromatic groups, or strong electrostatic interactions. Based on the fact that the most abundant protein assemblies in nature are dimeric, we select short peptide sequences from the interface of a heterodimer of proteins with known crystal structure to conjugate with nucleobases to form nucleopeptides. Being driven mainly by hydrogen bonds, the nucleopeptides self-assemble to form nanofibers, which results in supramolecular hydrogels upon simple mixing of two distinct nucleopeptides in water. Moreover, besides being biocompatible to mammalian cells, the heterodimer of the nucleopeptides exhibit excellent proteolytic resistance against proteinase K. This work illustrates a new and rational approach to create soft biomaterials by a supramolecular hydrogelation triggered by mixing heterodimeric nucleopeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Yuan
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South St, Waltham, MA 02454 (USA)
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17
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Yuan D, Du X, Shi J, Zhou N, Zhou J, Xu B. Mixing Biomimetic Heterodimers of Nucleopeptides to Generate Biocompatible and Biostable Supramolecular Hydrogels. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201412448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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18
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Ye Y, Wang Q. A polymer/clay nanocomposite gel via chlorinated paraffin solvent initiated photopolymerization with electrorheological performance. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c4ra14275f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
This communication reports a mild preparation of a polymer/clay nanocomposite gel of chlorinated paraffin with an electrorheological response to an external direct-current voltage due to the alignment of the clay within the gel networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuemei Ye
- Department of Chemistry, and Advanced Research Institute
- Tongji University
- Shanghai
- China
| | - Qigang Wang
- Department of Chemistry, and Advanced Research Institute
- Tongji University
- Shanghai
- China
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19
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Shi Y, Wang Z, Zhang X, Xu T, Ji S, Ding D, Yang Z, Wang L. Multi-responsive supramolecular hydrogels for drug delivery. Chem Commun (Camb) 2015; 51:15265-7. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cc05792b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We reported a versatile method to prepare responsive supramolecular hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology
- College of Pharmacy
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Design
- Nankai University
- Tianjin 300071
| | - Zhongyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology
- College of Pharmacy
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Design
- Nankai University
- Tianjin 300071
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials
- Ministry of Education
- College of Life Sciences
- Nankai University
| | - Tengyan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology
- College of Pharmacy
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Design
- Nankai University
- Tianjin 300071
| | - Shenglu Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials
- Ministry of Education
- College of Life Sciences
- Nankai University
| | - Dan Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials
- Ministry of Education
- College of Life Sciences
- Nankai University
| | - Zhimou Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology
- College of Pharmacy
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Design
- Nankai University
- Tianjin 300071
| | - Ling Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology
- College of Pharmacy
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Design
- Nankai University
- Tianjin 300071
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20
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Shi J, Du X, Yuan D, Zhou J, Zhou N, Huang Y, Xu B. D-amino acids modulate the cellular response of enzymatic-instructed supramolecular nanofibers of small peptides. Biomacromolecules 2014; 15:3559-68. [PMID: 25230147 PMCID: PMC4195520 DOI: 10.1021/bm5010355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
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Peptides
made of d-amino acids, as the enantiomer of corresponding l-peptides, are able to resist proteolysis. It is, however,
unclear or much less explored whether or how d-amino acids
affect the cellular response of supramolecular nanofibers formed by
enzyme-triggered self-assembly of d-peptides. In this work,
we choose a cell compatible molecule, Nap-l-Phe-l-Phe-l-pTyr (LLL-1P), and systematically
replace the l-amino acids in this tripeptidic precursor or
its hydrogelator by the corresponding d-amino acid(s). The
replacement of even one d-amino acid in this tripeptidic
precursor increases its proteolytic resistance. The results of static
light scattering and TEM images show the formation of nanostructures
upon the addition of alkaline phosphatase, even at concentrations
below the minimum gelation concentration (mgc). All these isomers
are able to form ordered nanostructures and exhibit different morphologies.
According to the cell viability assay on these stereochemical isomers,
cells exhibit drastically different responses to the enantiomeric
precursors, but almost same responses to the enantiomeric hydrogelators.
Furthermore, the different cellular responses of LLL-1P and DDD-1P largely originate from the ecto-phosphatases
catalyzed self-assembly of DDD-1 on the surface of cells.
Therefore, this report not only illustrates a new way for tailoring
the properties of supramolecular assemblies, but also provides new
insights to answering the fundamental question of how mammalian cells
respond to enzymatic formation of nanoscale supramolecular assemblies
(e.g., nanofibers) of d-peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University , 415 South Street, MS 015, Waltham, Massachusetts 02453, United States
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21
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Skilling KJ, Ndungu A, Kellam B, Ashford M, Bradshaw TD, Marlow M. Gelation properties of self-assembling N-acyl modified cytidine derivatives. J Mater Chem B 2014; 2:8412-8417. [DOI: 10.1039/c4tb01375a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
A new design for a self-assembling gelator of cytidine containing a binary mixture of organic solvent and water, shown to provide a suitable delivery platform for high and low Mw molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. J. Skilling
- School of Pharmacy
- University of Nottingham
- University Park
- Nottingham, UK
| | - A. Ndungu
- School of Pharmacy
- University of Nottingham
- University Park
- Nottingham, UK
| | - B. Kellam
- School of Pharmacy
- University of Nottingham
- University Park
- Nottingham, UK
| | | | - T. D. Bradshaw
- School of Pharmacy
- University of Nottingham
- University Park
- Nottingham, UK
| | - M. Marlow
- School of Pharmacy
- University of Nottingham
- University Park
- Nottingham, UK
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