Self-Assembly Pathway Influence on Dehydropeptide-Based Gel Properties and Drug Release.

ABSTRACT: Low-molecular-weight peptide-based hydrogels formed through self-assembly have emerged as promising candidates for biomedical applications. While the self-assembly process is known to affect the network morphology, its impact on mechanical properties and drug delivery remains poorly understood. In this work, it is explored how different gelation conditions influence the morphology, properties, and drug release profiles of dehydropeptide-based gels. Additionally, it is presented and analyzed, for the first time, the crystal structure of a naphthalene N-capped dehydropeptide (2-Naph-L-Phe-Z-ΔPhe-OH), which reveals a maximum pore diameter of ≈4.08 Å. By changing the preparation conditions, it is found that the stiffness of the hydrogels can vary by nearly three orders of magnitude. Employing

SUBMITTER: Veloso SRS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12434655 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature