Switchable Coacervate Formation via Amino Acid Functionalization of Poly(dehydroalanine)
Biomacromolecules. 2024 Mar 1. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00048. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTOur group recently developed a family of side-chain amino acid-functionalized poly(S-alkyl-l-homocysteines), Xaa-CH (Xaa = generic amino acid), which possess the ability to form environmentally responsive coacervates in water. In an effort to further study how the molecular structure affects polypeptide coacervate formation, we prepared side-chain amino acid-functionalized poly(S-alkyl-rac-cysteines), Xaa-rac-C, via post-polymerization modification of poly(dehydroalanine), ADH. The use of the ADH platform allowed straightforward s...
Source: Biomacromolecules - March 1, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Casey A Morrison Ethan P Chan Thatcher Lee Timothy J Deming Source Type: research
Degradable Polymer-Based Nanoassemblies for Precise Targeting and Drug Delivery to Breast Cancer Cells without Affecting Normal Healthy Cells
Biomacromolecules. 2024 Feb 29. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01232. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTStimuli-responsive amphiphilic polymers are known to be precursors to forming promising nanoarchitectonics with tunable properties for application in biomedical sciences. Currently, self-immolative polymers are widely recognized as an emerging class of responsive materials with excellent degradability, which is one of the crucial criteria for designing a robust drug delivery vehicle. Here, we design an amphiphilic polyurethane endowed with a redox-responsive self-immolative linker and a pH-responsive tertiary amine on the backbon...
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 29, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Subrata Santra Shreya Das Sananda Dey Arunima Sengupta Biplab Giri Mijanur Rahaman Molla Source Type: research
Access to Advanced Functional Materials through Postmodification of Biomimetic Assemblies via Click Chemistry
Biomacromolecules. 2024 Feb 29. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01454. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe design, synthesis, and fabrication of functional nanomaterials with specific properties remain a long-standing goal for many scientific fields. The self-assembly of sequence-defined biomimetic synthetic polymers presents a fundamental strategy to explore the chemical space beyond biological systems to create advanced nanomaterials. Moreover, subsequent chemical modification of existing nanostructures is a unique approach for accessing increasingly complex nanostructures and introducing functionalities. Of these modifications,...
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 29, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Annie Y Heble Chun-Long Chen Source Type: research
Double-Network Hydrogel with Strengthened Mechanical Property for Controllable Release of Antibacterial Peptide
In this study, an ion-responsive antibacterial peptide (AMP) (C16-WIIIKKK, termed as IK7) was synergistically combined with a photoresponsive gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) polymer to fabricate a biocompatible DN hydrogel. The GelMA-IK7 DN hydrogel showed enhanced mechanical properties in contrast to the individual IK7 and GelMA hydrogels and demonstrated substantial antibacterial efficacy. Further investigations revealed that the DN hydrogel effectively inhibited bacterial growth by the controlled and sustained release of the IK7 peptide. In addition, the formation of the DN hydrogel was also found to protect AMP IK7 from r...
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 28, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tingyuan Tan Yangqian Hou Yi Zhang Biao Wang Source Type: research
Understanding Self-Assembly and Molecular Packing in Methylcellulose Aqueous Solutions Using Multiscale Modeling and Simulations
We present a multiscale molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study on self-assembly in methylcellulose (MC) aqueous solutions. First, using MD simulations with a new coarse-grained (CG) model of MC chains in implicit water, we establish how the MC chains self-assemble to form fibrils and fibrillar networks and elucidate the MC chains' packing within the assembled fibrils. The CG model for MC is extended from a previously developed model for unsubstituted cellulose and captures the directionality of H-bonding interactions between the -OH groups. The choice and placement of the CG beads within each monomer facilitates explicit...
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 28, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Zijie Wu Audrey M Collins Arthi Jayaraman Source Type: research
Dual Cross-Linked Stimuli-Responsive Alginate-Based Hydrogels
Biomacromolecules. 2024 Feb 28. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01201. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTSodium alginate with different molecular weights (55, 170, and 320 kg mol-1) were chemically modified by grafting methacrylic moieties onto the hydroxyl groups of the alginate backbone. The methacrylation was optimized to obtain different degrees of modification. Chemically cross-linked hydrogels were obtained following UV-light irradiation in the presence of a photoinitiator. The swelling behavior and the mechanical properties were observed to depend on both the degree of methacrylation and the alginate molecular weight. Due to ...
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 28, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Michel Habib Steve Berthalon Laurent Leclercq Audrey Tourrette Tahmer Sharkawi Sebastien Blanquer Source Type: research
Double-Network Hydrogel with Strengthened Mechanical Property for Controllable Release of Antibacterial Peptide
In this study, an ion-responsive antibacterial peptide (AMP) (C16-WIIIKKK, termed as IK7) was synergistically combined with a photoresponsive gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) polymer to fabricate a biocompatible DN hydrogel. The GelMA-IK7 DN hydrogel showed enhanced mechanical properties in contrast to the individual IK7 and GelMA hydrogels and demonstrated substantial antibacterial efficacy. Further investigations revealed that the DN hydrogel effectively inhibited bacterial growth by the controlled and sustained release of the IK7 peptide. In addition, the formation of the DN hydrogel was also found to protect AMP IK7 from r...
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 28, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tingyuan Tan Yangqian Hou Yi Zhang Biao Wang Source Type: research
Understanding Self-Assembly and Molecular Packing in Methylcellulose Aqueous Solutions Using Multiscale Modeling and Simulations
We present a multiscale molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study on self-assembly in methylcellulose (MC) aqueous solutions. First, using MD simulations with a new coarse-grained (CG) model of MC chains in implicit water, we establish how the MC chains self-assemble to form fibrils and fibrillar networks and elucidate the MC chains' packing within the assembled fibrils. The CG model for MC is extended from a previously developed model for unsubstituted cellulose and captures the directionality of H-bonding interactions between the -OH groups. The choice and placement of the CG beads within each monomer facilitates explicit...
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 28, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Zijie Wu Audrey M Collins Arthi Jayaraman Source Type: research
Dual Cross-Linked Stimuli-Responsive Alginate-Based Hydrogels
Biomacromolecules. 2024 Feb 28. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01201. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTSodium alginate with different molecular weights (55, 170, and 320 kg mol-1) were chemically modified by grafting methacrylic moieties onto the hydroxyl groups of the alginate backbone. The methacrylation was optimized to obtain different degrees of modification. Chemically cross-linked hydrogels were obtained following UV-light irradiation in the presence of a photoinitiator. The swelling behavior and the mechanical properties were observed to depend on both the degree of methacrylation and the alginate molecular weight. Due to ...
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 28, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Michel Habib Steve Berthalon Laurent Leclercq Audrey Tourrette Tahmer Sharkawi Sebastien Blanquer Source Type: research
Cellulose-Callose Hydrogels: Computational Exploration of Their Nanostructure and Mechanical Properties
Biomacromolecules. 2024 Feb 27. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01396. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPolysaccharides play a crucial role in virtually all living systems. They also represent the biocompatible and fully sustainable component of a variety of nanoparticles, which are of increasing interest in biomedicine, food processing, cosmetics, and structural reinforcement of polymeric materials. The computational modeling of complex polysaccharide phases will assist in understanding the properties and behavior of all these systems. In this paper, structural, bonding, and mechanical properties of 10 wt % cellulose-callose hydro...
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 27, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Pallavi Kumari Pietro Ballone Candelas Paniagua Radwa H Abou-Saleh Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso Source Type: research
Pro-vasculogenic Fibers by PDA-Mediated Surface Functionalization Using Cell-Free Fat Extract (CEFFE)
This study highlights the potential of currently engineered pro-vasculogenic fibers as a versatile platform for engineering vascularized biomaterial constructs for functional tissue regeneration.PMID:38411008 | DOI:10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01124 (Source: Biomacromolecules)
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 27, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Donghong Li Qinglin Li Tingting Xu Xuran Guo Han Tang Wenbo Wang Wenjie Zhang Yanzhong Zhang Source Type: research
Advanced Hollow Cathode Discharge Plasma Treatment of Unique Bilayered Fibrous Nerve Guidance Conduits for Enhanced/Oriented Neurite Outgrowth
Biomacromolecules. 2024 Feb 27. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00976. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTDespite all recent progresses in nerve tissue engineering, critical-sized nerve defects are still extremely challenging to repair. Therefore, this study targets the bridging of critical nerve defects and promoting an oriented neuronal outgrowth by engineering innovative nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) synergistically possessing exclusive topographical, chemical, and mechanical cues. To do so, a mechanically adequate mixture of polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) was first carefully selected as base materi...
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 27, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Sheida Aliakbarshirazi Rouba Ghobeira Mahtab Asadian Mehrnoush Narimisa Anton Nikiforov Ives De Baere Wim Van Paepegem Nathalie De Geyter Heidi Declercq Rino Morent Source Type: research
Cellulose-Callose Hydrogels: Computational Exploration of Their Nanostructure and Mechanical Properties
Biomacromolecules. 2024 Feb 27. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01396. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPolysaccharides play a crucial role in virtually all living systems. They also represent the biocompatible and fully sustainable component of a variety of nanoparticles, which are of increasing interest in biomedicine, food processing, cosmetics, and structural reinforcement of polymeric materials. The computational modeling of complex polysaccharide phases will assist in understanding the properties and behavior of all these systems. In this paper, structural, bonding, and mechanical properties of 10 wt % cellulose-callose hydro...
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 27, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Pallavi Kumari Pietro Ballone Candelas Paniagua Radwa H Abou-Saleh Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso Source Type: research
Pro-vasculogenic Fibers by PDA-Mediated Surface Functionalization Using Cell-Free Fat Extract (CEFFE)
This study highlights the potential of currently engineered pro-vasculogenic fibers as a versatile platform for engineering vascularized biomaterial constructs for functional tissue regeneration.PMID:38411008 | DOI:10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01124 (Source: Biomacromolecules)
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 27, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Donghong Li Qinglin Li Tingting Xu Xuran Guo Han Tang Wenbo Wang Wenjie Zhang Yanzhong Zhang Source Type: research
Advanced Hollow Cathode Discharge Plasma Treatment of Unique Bilayered Fibrous Nerve Guidance Conduits for Enhanced/Oriented Neurite Outgrowth
Biomacromolecules. 2024 Feb 27. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00976. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTDespite all recent progresses in nerve tissue engineering, critical-sized nerve defects are still extremely challenging to repair. Therefore, this study targets the bridging of critical nerve defects and promoting an oriented neuronal outgrowth by engineering innovative nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) synergistically possessing exclusive topographical, chemical, and mechanical cues. To do so, a mechanically adequate mixture of polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) was first carefully selected as base materi...
Source: Biomacromolecules - February 27, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Sheida Aliakbarshirazi Rouba Ghobeira Mahtab Asadian Mehrnoush Narimisa Anton Nikiforov Ives De Baere Wim Van Paepegem Nathalie De Geyter Heidi Declercq Rino Morent Source Type: research
