Formation of Nanofibrillar Self-Healing Hydrogels Using Antimicrobial Peptides
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The rise of drug-resistant microorganisms has prompted the development of innovative strategies with the aim of addressing this challenge. Among the alternative approaches gaining increased attention are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), a group of peptides with the ability to combat microbial pathogens. Here, we investigated a small peptide, KLVFF, derived from the Alzheimer's amyloid-β (Aβ) protein. While Aβ has been associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases, the core part of the Aβ protein, namely the Aβ 16-20 fragment, has also been exploited to obtain highly functional biomaterials. In this study we found that KLVFF is capable of self-assembling into a fibrillar network to form a self-healing hydrogel. Moreover, this small peptide can undergo a transition from a gel to a liquid state following application of shear stress, in a reversible manner. As an AMP, this material exhibited both antibacterial and antifungal properties while remaining highly biocompatible and noncytotoxic toward mammalian cells. The propensity of the KLVFF hydrogel to rapidly assemble into highly ordered macroscopic structures makes it an ideal candidate for biomedical applications necessitating antimicrobial activity, such as wound healing.
Institution: University of Cambridge
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
Funders: Frances and Augustus Newman Foundation, UK Research and Innovation, European Commission, Cambridge Trust, Gates Cambridge Trust, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, H2020 European Research Council
OpenAlex ID: W4401733544