Browsing by Author "Lai, Tsung-Sheng"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6

A supramolecular hydrogel self-assembled from pentafluorobenzyl-dipeptide
(2015-01-01)
Hsu, Shu-Min
;
Chang, Jui-Wen
;
Wu, Fang-Yi
;
Lin, Yu-Chun
;
Lai, Tsung-Sheng
We report a new aromatic-capped peptide amphiphile which is able to form a supramolecular hydrogel under neutral pH. This hydrogel can also be obtained by enzymatic transformation from the hydrogelator precursor. The newly discovered hydrogel has excellent biocompatibility for four different cell lines, thus making it a potentially useful scaffolding material for biomedical applications.
Effect of Peptide Sequences on Supramolecular Interactions of Naphthaleneimide/Tripeptide Conjugates
(2016-08-02)
Yeh, Mei-Yu
;
Huang, Ching-Ting
;
Lai, Tsung-Sheng
;
Chen, Fang-Yi
;
Chu, Nien-Tzu
In this study, we reported a significant difference in the supramolecular hydrogelation of newly discovered NI-GFF (NI-Gly-L-Phe-L-Phe) and NI-FFG (NI-L-Phe-L-Phe-Gly) on the basis of their phase diagrams. With a small difference in the peptide chain between NI-GFF and NI-FFG, we observed a significant difference in their self-assembly properties; NI-GFF formed a stable gel at neutral pH, whereas NI-FFG did not, under the same conditions. From spectroscopic and computational studies, intermolecular pi-pi interactions and extended hydrogen bonding interactions might reinforce the intermolecular interactions of NI-GFF, which may facilitate the formation of the self-assembled nanostructures and the hydrogel. In addition, the aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active NI-GFF reveals relatively good biocompatibility compared with that of NI-FFG for two commonly used cell lines, suggesting that it is a promising candidate for use as a supramolecular material in biomedical applications. Our results highlight the importance of tripeptide sequences in a self-assembling hydrogel system.
Self-Assembled Peptide-Based Hydrogels as Scaffolds for Proliferation and Multi-Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells
(2017-04-01)
Wang, Yung-Li
;
Lin, Shih-Pei
;
Nelli, Srinivasa Rao
;
Zhan, Fu-Kai
;
Cheng, Hsun
Fluorenyl-9-methoxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-diphenylalanine (Fmoc-FF) and Fmoc-arginine-glycine-aspartate (Fmoc-RGD) peptides self-assemble to form a 3D network of supramolecular hydrogel (Fmoc-FF/Fmoc-RGD), which provides a nanofibrous network that uniquely presents bioactive ligands at the fiber surface for cell attachment. In the present study, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in Fmoc-FF/Fmoc-RGD hydrogel increase in proliferation and survival compared to those in Fmoc-FF/Fmoc-RGE hydrogel. Moreover, MSCs encapsulated in Fmoc-FF/Fmoc-RGD hydrogel and induced in each defined induction medium undergo in vitro osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation. For in vivo differentiation, MSCs encapsulated in hydrogel are induced in each defined medium for one week, followed by injection into gelatin sponges and transplantation into immunodeficient mice for four weeks. MSCs in Fmoc-FF/Fmoc-RGD hydrogel increase in differentiation into osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation, compared to those in FmocFF/Fmoc-RGE hydrogel. This study concludes that nanofibers formed by the self-assembly of Fmoc-FF and Fmoc-RGD are suitable for the attachment, proliferation, and multi-differentiation of MSCs, and can be applied in musculoskeletal tissue engineering.
Self-assembly and hydrogelation from multicomponent coassembly of pentafluorobenzyl-phenylalanine and pentafluorobenzyl-diphenylalanine
(2015-01-01)
Hsu, Shu-Min
;
Wu, Fang-Yi
;
Lai, Tsung-Sheng
;
Lin, Yu-Chun
;
Lin, Hsin-Chieh
To screen the possibility of forming self-assembled hydrogels under physiological pH, various molar ratios of the hydrogelators based on pentafluorobenzyl-phenylalanine (PFB-F) and pentafluorobenzyl-diphenylalanine (PFB-FF) were studied. The equimolar ratio of PFB-F and PFB-FF formed coassembled nanofibers and a self-supporting hydrogel at the physiological pH of 7.4. The spectroscopic characterization of the blend gel indicates that pi-pi interactions and hydrogen-bonding interactions are the major driving forces behind the coassembly. In addition, we also prove that the blend hydrogel is biocompatible, thus making it a scaffolding material for biomedical applications. In this work, the utility of two distinct hydrogelators to promote coassembly under physiological condition expands the repertoire of noncovalent interactions that can be used in the development of sophisticated noncovalent biomaterials.
The role of aromatic side chains on the supramolecular hydrogelation of naphthalimide/dipeptide conjugates
(2018-03-21)
Hsu, Shu-Min
;
Chakravarthy, Rajan Deepan
;
Cheng, Hsun
;
Wu, Fang-Yi
;
Lai, Tsung-Sheng
Herein, the influence of an amino acid side chain on the structural and functional properties of hydrogels has been described. In this study, four new hydrogelators based on the conjugates of dipeptides and naphthalimide (NI) have been designed, synthesized, and examined. Homopeptide 1 (NI-FF) of the phenylalanine residue forms a weak hydrogel or a viscous solution of worm-like micelles under basic conditions. On the other hand, dipeptide conjugates of 2 (NI-FY), 3 (NI-YF), and 4 (NI-YY), containing additional hydroxyl groups as tyrosine residues, can self-assemble into supramolecular hydrogels under physiological pH conditions. UV-vis, IR, and rheological studies clearly indicate the formation and stability of these dipeptide hydrogels. The TEM results revealed that the hydrogels (1-4) self-assembled into a nanofibrous morphology. Furthermore, the cell culture results show that NI-YF has better cell compatibility as compared to NI-FY and NI-YY and thus shows potential to be used as a hydrogel biomaterial. Overall, this study highlights the importance of the structure-hydrogelation relationship and provides new insights into the design of self-assembled peptide amphiphiles.
Tumor targeting with DGEA peptide ligands: a new aromatic peptide amphiphile for imaging cancers
(2019-01-25)
Zhan, Fu-Kai
;
Liu, Jyun-Cheng
;
Cheng, Bill
;
Liu, Yen-Chu
;
Lai, Tsung-Sheng
We report a novel fluorescent bioprobe, tetraphenylethylene-Phe-Asp-Gly-Glu-Ala (TPE-FDGEA), and its self-assembly behavior, photophysical properties, and biocompatibility. The hydrogelator TPE-FDGEA exhibited aggregation-induced emission characteristics, which facilitated imaging of PC-3 human prostate cancer cells, thereby demonstrating the utility of such fluorescent probes for specific labeling of target cells in vitro.