Peptide-Albumin Hydrogels for Cell Culture and Wounds Healing Applications
Reference Number: 12-38
Inventors: Xiuzhi Susan Sun and Hongzhou Huang
Description:
As Kansas State University (KSU) continues to advance its synthetic peptide (“h9e”)
hydrogel technology portfolio, KSU researchers have discovered that albumin can be
used to trigger the self-assembly of the peptides to form a hydrogel when mixed with
medium used in cell culture, such as Minimum Essential Medium (MEM). Albumin is the
most abundant protein in human blood and considered as one of the most important proteins
for molecular transportation, pH balance, and maintaining osmotic pressure. Previously,
research showed that the h9e peptides can self-organize into short nanofibers, under
the trigger of salts or ions, including, for example Ca2+, Na+, Zn2+, or Mg2+, and
the nanofibers would extend and further cross into hydrogel scaffolds. Utilizing albumin
provides an additional self-assembling pathway.
With the rapid development of peptide hydrogel for biomedical applications, the physiological
properties of the hydrogel materials as well as the mild trigger method from solution
to hydrogel transition attracts more and more consideration for realistic use of these
materials. This portfolio of intellectual property provides an updated method for
developing peptide hydrogel without any additional chemical or environmental adjustment.
Advantages:
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3D cell culture: Resulting hydrogel has desirable properties for 3D eukaryotic cell growth with a final peptide concentration as low as 1 mM (0.17%)
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Albumin is the most abundant protein in human blood
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Hydrogel is formed without any additional chemical or environmental adjustment
Applications:
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Improved 3D cell culture as a research tool for growing cells in a 3D matrix
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Wound healing applications
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Biomedical applications include excipient and drug delivery system.
Patent Status
- Provisional patent application filed in December 2012.
Kansas State University Research Foundation seeks to have discussions with companies that are interested in licensing and/or research collaborations.
Interested parties should contact:
Kansas State University Institute for Commercialization (KSU-IC)
2005 Research Park Circle Manhattan, KS 66502
Tel: 785-532-3900 Fax: 785-532-3909
E-Mail: ic@k-state.edu