Self Assembling Biomaterials

Self-assembling biomaterials: molecular design, characterization and application in biology and medicine provides a comprehensive coverage on an emerging area of biomaterials science, spanning from conceptual designs to advanced characterization tools and applications of self-assembling biomaterials, and compiling the recent developments in the field. Molecular self-assembly, the autonomous organization of molecules, is ubiquitous in living organisms and intrinsic to biological structures and function. Not surprisingly, the exciting field of engineering artificial self-assembling biomaterials often finds inspiration in Biology. More important, materials that self-assemble speak the language of life and can be designed to seamlessly integrate with the biological environment, offering unique engineering opportunities in bionanotechnology. The book is divided in five parts, comprising design of molecular building blocks for self-assembly; exclusive features of self-assembling biomaterials; specific methods and techniques to predict, investigate and characterize self-assembly and formed assemblies; different approaches for controlling self-assembly across multiple length scales and the nano/micro/macroscopic properties of biomaterials; diverse range of applications in biomedicine, including drug delivery, theranostics, cell culture and tissue regeneration. Written by researchers working in self-assembling biomaterials, it addresses a specific need within the Biomaterials scientific community. Explores both theoretical and practical aspects of self-assembly in biomaterials Includes a dedicated section on characterization techniques, specific for self-assembling biomaterials Examines the use of dynamic self-assembling biomaterials

Fabrication and Self-Assembly of Nanobiomaterials presents the most recent findings regarding the fabrication and self-assembly of nanomaterials for different biomedical applications. Respected authors from around the world offer a comprehensive look at how nanobiomaterials are made, enabling knowledge from current research to be used in an applied setting. Recent applications of nanotechnology in the biomedical field have developed in response to an increased demand for innovative approaches to diagnosis, exploratory procedures and therapy. The book provides the reader with a strong grounding in emerging biomedical nanofabrication technologies, covering numerous fabrication routes for specific applications are described in detail and discussing synthesis, characterization and current or potential future use. This book will be of interest to professors, postdoctoral researchers and students engaged in the fields of materials science, biotechnology and applied chemistry. It will also be highly valuable to those working in industry, including pharmaceutics and biotechnology companies, medical researchers, biomedical engineers and advanced clinicians. An up-to-date and highly structured reference source for practitioners, researchers and students working in biomedical, biotechnological and engineering fields A valuable guide to recent scientific progress, covering major and emerging applications of nanomaterials in the biomedical field Proposes novel opportunities and ideas for developing or improving technologies in fabrication and self-assembly

This thesis deals with the development of novel strategies for self-assembling biomaterials based on short beta-sheet fibril-forming peptides. These materials are potentially useful for a variety of biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and controlled drug release, and several aspects of these materials have been explored in this thesis in an effort to improve their clinical utility. First, a strategy for rapidly and uniformly triggering peptide self-assembly was developed. Stimulus-sensitive liposomes were utilized to sequester salts and release them in response to stimuli such as warming to body temperature or exposure to near infra-red light. Triggered salt release in turn initiated rapid self-assembly of extravesicular peptide and the transformation of the peptide/liposome suspension from a solution to a hydrogel. We show that peptide self-assembly can be rapidly, uniformly, and specifically triggered, with the storage modulus increasing three orders of magnitude upon triggering. This rapid triggering strategy is potentially useful for injectable biomaterial applications. In the second research thrust, a self-assembling peptide was developed that also possessed enzymatic activity for the cross-linking enzyme tissue transglutaminase. We then utilized tissue transglutaminase to conjugate cell-interactive peptides to the self-assembled structure and investigated cell attachment to these functionalized scaffolds. Such a strategy is potentially useful for designing biospecific self-assembling scaffolds for tissue engineering or wound healing. In the final research focus, to modulate the nanostructure of the self-assembled fibrillar structures, we developed a series of self-assembling polyethylene glycol-conjugated peptides. We found that polyethylene glycol conjugation significantly altered fibril morphology, including width, length, and degree of lateral aggregation. As previous beta-sheet fibrillar self-assembled materials have shown particular intransigence to such modification of the fibrillar structure, this strategy may be a useful route for tailoring the physical properties of these materials. As a whole, the strategies developed in this thesis address previous shortcomings of beta-sheet peptide-based self-assembling materials in an effort to bring them closer to clinical application.

Synthesis of Polypeptides by Ring-Opening Polymerization of α-Amino Acid N-Carboxyanhydrides, by Jianjun Cheng and Timothy J. Deming.- Peptide Synthesis and Self-Assembly, by S. Maude, L. R. Tai, R. P. W. Davies, B. Liu, S. A. Harris, P. J. Kocienski and A. Aggeli.- Elastomeric Polypeptides, by Mark B. van Eldijk, Christopher L. McGann, Kristi L. Kiick andJan C. M. van Hest.- Self-Assembled Polypeptide and Polypeptide Hybrid Vesicles: From Synthesis to Application, by Uh-Joo Choe, Victor Z. Sun, James-Kevin Y. Tan and Daniel T. Kamei.- Peptide-Based and Polypeptide-Based Hydrogels for Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering, by Aysegul Altunbas and Darrin J. Pochan.-

The self-organization of bionanostructures into well-defined functional machineries found in nature has been a priceless source of ideas for researchers. The molecules of life, proteins, DNA, RNA, etc., as well as the structures and forms that these molecules assume serve as rich sources of ideas for scientists or engineers who are interested in developing bio-inspired materials for innovations in biomedical fields. In nature, molecular self-assembly is a process by which complex three-dimensional structures with well-defined functions are constructed, starting from simple building blocks such as proteins and peptides. This book introduces readers to the theory and mechanisms of peptide self-assembly processes. The authors present the more common peptide self-assembled building blocks and discuss how researchers from different fields can apply self-assembling principles to bionanotechnology applications. The advantages and challenges are mentioned together with examples that reflect the state of the art of the use of self-assembled peptide building blocks in nanotechnology.

Self-assembling biomaterials: molecular design, characterization and application in biology and medicine provides a comprehensive coverage on an emerging area of biomaterials science, spanning from conceptual designs to advanced characterization tools and applications of self-assembling biomaterials, and compiling the recent developments in the field. Molecular self-assembly, the autonomous organization of molecules, is ubiquitous in living organisms and intrinsic to biological structures and function. Not surprisingly, the exciting field of engineering artificial self-assembling biomaterials often finds inspiration in Biology. More important, materials that self-assemble speak the language of life and can be designed to seamlessly integrate with the biological environment, offering unique engineering opportunities in bionanotechnology. The book is divided in five parts, comprising design of molecular building blocks for self-assembly; exclusive features of self-assembling biomaterials; specific methods and techniques to predict, investigate and characterize self-assembly and formed assemblies; different approaches for controlling self-assembly across multiple length scales and the nano/micro/macroscopic properties of biomaterials; diverse range of applications in biomedicine, including drug delivery, theranostics, cell culture and tissue regeneration. Written by researchers working in self-assembling biomaterials, it addresses a specific need within the Biomaterials scientific community. Explores both theoretical and practical aspects of self-assembly in biomaterials Includes a dedicated section on characterization techniques, specific for self-assembling biomaterials Examines the use of dynamic self-assembling biomaterials

Research and new tools in biomaterials development by using peptides are currently growing, as more functional and versatile building blocks are used to design a host of functional biomaterials via chemical modifications for health care applications. It is a field that is attracting researchers from across soft matter science, molecular engineering and biomaterials science. Covering the fundamental concepts of self-assembly, design and synthesis of peptides, this book will provide a solid introduction to the field for those interested in developing functional biomaterials by using peptide derivatives. The bioactive nature of the peptides and their physical properties are discussed in various applications in biomedicine. This book will help researchers and students working in biomaterials and biomedicine fields and help their understanding of modulating biological processes for disease diagnosis and treatments.

Comprehensive Biomaterials II, Second Edition brings together the myriad facets of biomaterials into one expertly-written series of edited volumes. Articles address the current status of nearly all biomaterials in the field, their strengths and weaknesses, their future prospects, appropriate analytical methods and testing, device applications and performance, emerging candidate materials as competitors and disruptive technologies, research and development, regulatory management, commercial aspects, and applications, including medical applications. Detailed coverage is given to both new and emerging areas and the latest research in more traditional areas of the field. Particular attention is given to those areas in which major recent developments have taken place. This new edition, with 75% new or updated articles, will provide biomedical scientists in industry, government, academia, and research organizations with an accurate perspective on the field in a manner that is both accessible and thorough. Reviews the current status of nearly all biomaterials in the field by analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, performance, and future prospects Covers all significant emerging technologies in areas such as 3D printing of tissues, organs and scaffolds, cell encapsulation; multimodal delivery, cancer/vaccine - biomaterial applications, neural interface understanding, materials used for in situ imaging, and infection prevention and treatment Effectively describes the many modern aspects of biomaterials from basic science, to clinical applications

The objective of this thesis was to design self-assembling biomaterials whose physical and biological properties can be systematically adjusted to modulate cell growth and differentiation. The intended applications of these biomaterials include defined 3D cell culture scaffolds as well as coatings for existing prosthetics. The complex and dynamic nature of extracellular matrices necessitates the precise integration and adjustment of multiple physical, chemical, and biological features within engineered biomaterials, but this has been challenging for previous scaffolds owing to the fact that these features tend not to be adjustable independently. Instead, these properties tend to be conflated and entangled, limiting the ability to systematically engineer scaffolds with multiple components. As a step towards addressing this issue, this thesis describes the development of a modular self-assembling biomaterial system capable of incorporating multiple physical or biological functions into precisely defined biomaterials without affecting other material properties. Three families of different biological and physical functionalities were designed, synthesized, and investigated: those that modulate matrix mechanics, those that mediate cell-matrix binding, and those that can release soluble effector molecules. All materials were based on a short, synthetic, self-assembling peptide sequence, Q11, which formed self-supporting hydrogels in physiological conditions. To independently modulate matrix mechanics, Q11 derivatives were developed possessing chemoselective functional groups that could be polymerized via native chemical ligation. This method produced significantly stiffened gels, which also significantly enhanced endothelial cell proliferation in an independent manner. To develop modular self-assembling ligand-bearing peptides, endothelial cell-interactive ligands, RGDS, REDV, IKVAV, and YIGSR amino acid sequences were added to the N-terminus of Q11 (X-Q11). The incorporation of X-Q11 into hydrogels was quantitative and did not significantly alter stiffness when different ligands were included in the hydrogels. The ligands were physically presented on the surface of fibrils, retained their biological activities, and interacted with cell surface receptors to modulate endothelial cell behaviors. To develop Q11 derivatives capable of releasing soluble effectors, Q11 peptides were synthesized containing a nitric oxide (NO) donor compound. The conjugation efficiency was about 88%, and fibril morphologies were not significantly altered by the NO donor compound, allowing quantitative incorporation of this peptide into Q11 hydrogels. The last stage of the project employed a statistical method, design of experiments, to capitalize upon the modularity of the developed co-assembling matrices, with the purpose of maximizing the growth of endothelial cells on the materials. Through several rounds of multifactorial experimentation, an optimal formulation of multiple peptides was determined, resulting in endothelial cell attachment and proliferation comparable to the native matrix protein, fibronectin. Such a calculation of an optimal formulation would be prohibitively costly, both in terms of time and materials, for conventional biomaterials not constructed in a modular fashion. These results suggested that modular Q11-based self-assembling systems enable facile manipulation of multiple factors, allowing the efficient targeting of a desired response, in this case endothelial cell growth. This approach should allow for the systematic design of biomaterials for a wide range of applications, without relying on ad hoc strategies.

Comprehensive Biomaterials brings together the myriad facets of biomaterials into one, major series of six edited volumes that would cover the field of biomaterials in a major, extensive fashion: Volume 1: Metallic, Ceramic and Polymeric Biomaterials Volume 2: Biologically Inspired and Biomolecular Materials Volume 3: Methods of Analysis Volume 4: Biocompatibility, Surface Engineering, and Delivery Of Drugs, Genes and Other Molecules Volume 5: Tissue and Organ Engineering Volume 6: Biomaterials and Clinical Use Experts from around the world in hundreds of related biomaterials areas have contributed to this publication, resulting in a continuum of rich information appropriate for many audiences. The work addresses the current status of nearly all biomaterials in the field, their strengths and weaknesses, their future prospects, appropriate analytical methods and testing, device applications and performance, emerging candidate materials as competitors and disruptive technologies, and strategic insights for those entering and operational in diverse biomaterials applications, research and development, regulatory management, and commercial aspects. From the outset, the goal was to review materials in the context of medical devices and tissue properties, biocompatibility and surface analysis, tissue engineering and controlled release. It was also the intent both, to focus on material properties from the perspectives of therapeutic and diagnostic use, and to address questions relevant to state-of-the-art research endeavors. Reviews the current status of nearly all biomaterials in the field by analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, performance as well as future prospects Presents appropriate analytical methods and testing procedures in addition to potential device applications Provides strategic insights for those working on diverse application areas such as R&D, regulatory management, and commercial development

Conjugation of synthetic materials with cell-responsive biologically-active molecules, in addition to providing structural support and release of biomolecules in the regenerating region, can provide the signaling factors required to initiate the cascade of cell migration, adhesion, differentiation, maturation, growth factor modulation, maintenance of matrix integrity, and tissue morphogenesis. Nanoparticles conjugated with ligands that preferentially interact with cell surface receptors in the tumor environment have the potential to drastically improve bioavailability, selectivity and residence time of the chemotherapeutic agent in the tumor microenvironment, while limiting their peripheral toxicity. Multivalent presentation of tumor-associated antigens on a targeted delivery system containing T and B cell epitopes can result in strong, long-lasting, self-adjuvant immunity against cancer and other diseases in vaccination. These examples demonstrate that cell-responsive conjugate biomaterials have profoundly impacted the medical field. This book is divided into three sections. In the first section, synthesis and characterization, conformation, structure-activity, self-assembly, and host response of conjugate hybrid biomaterials are covered. The second section is dedicated to the applications of conjugate biomaterials in drug delivery and vaccination while the last section is devoted to tissue engineering applications including cell adhesion, control of the stem cell niche, cartilage regeneration, neural and vascular tissue engineering, and dynamic cell culture systems for functionalized biomaterials. There is no doubt that biologically-responsive conjugate biomaterials play a key role in the design of biologics and medical devices, and this pioneering reference book provides a comprehensive review on synthesis, characterization, structure-activity, 3D assembly/fabrication, host response and the emerging applications of conjugate hybrid biomaterials.

This is the first book about functional nanostructures. Nanocrystalline materials exhibit outstanding properties and represent a new class of structural materials having a wide range of applications. In particular, there is considerable interest in developing nanocrystalline materials to be used as functional materials in aerospace applications, automotive industry, wear applications, etc. Future progress in these high technological applications of nanocrystalline materials depends on development of new methods of their fabrication and understanding of the underlying nano-scale and interface effects causing their unique mechanical properties.

This book is an archival reference for the evolving field ofbiomaterials and their applications in society, focusing on theircomposition, properties, characterization, chemistry andapplications in bioenergy, chemicals, and novel materials andbiomaterials. It has broad appeal due to the recentheightened awareness around bioenergy and biomass as potentialreplacements for petroleum feedstocks. The book isdivided into three parts: cellulose-based biomaterials, chitin andchitosan biomaterials, and hemicelluloses and otherpolysaccharides. Each chapter addresses a separatebiomaterial, discussing its chemical, physical, and biologicalattributes, and hones in on each compound's intrinsictunability for numerous chemicaltransformations. In the current quest for a "green"economy and resources, this book will help inspire scientiststowards novel sources for chemicals, materials,and energy in the years to come.

Self-assembling peptide-based biomaterials are promising for use in biomedical applications due to their inherent extracellular matrix-like structure, comparable nanofiber dimensions and responsiveness to cells and proteins. Among them, short peptides and their derivatives have been studied because of their ease of synthesis and bottom-up design for controlling fibrillar supra-structure. In this dissertation, nucleo-tripeptides which can self-assemble into a hydrogel form were designed based on considerations of their gelation conditions and applications to functional cell scaffolds and controlled drug release. From the result of Fmoc modified short depsipeptides study, showing functional potential but cytotoxicity upon degradation, nucleobases were evaluated as a replacement for the Fmoc group. A small library, composed of 16 nucleo-tripeptides, was constructed in order to control the self-assembly conditions and to identify a molecule which can form a hydrogel under physiologic conditions. The resulting supra-structures were analyzed experimentally and computationally. We found that nucleo-tripeptides can self-assemble into nano-fibers which then lead to hydrogel formation under physiologic pH. Self-assembled nano-fibers have DNA-like structures, exhibiting nucleobase stacking and Watson-Crick-like interactions. By using these DNA-like structures as well as the self-healing capability of the nucleo-tripeptide hydrogel, applications as functional cell scaffolds and controlled drug release were studied. The self-assembled nucleo-tripeptide hydrogel can be functionalized via mixing with a second molecule having a complementary nucleobase via Watson-Crick interactions. A molecule possessing arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD), interacting with integrin located on the surface of cells, and a nucleobase was incorporated into the self-assembled nucleo-tripeptide hydrogel. This incorporation resulted in improved viability and cell attachment during 3D culture of fibroblasts. Nucleobase stacking structures were applied to the sequestration and controlled release of the doxorubicin, a cancer drug which exerts its action by intercalated DNA. The self-assembled nucleo-tripeptide hydrogel was able to load doxorubicin effectively through its DNA-like interactions, and in vitro and in vivo studies showed that controlled release of doxorubicin can inhibit tumor growth over a long-term period

Focusing on a lucrative and increasingly important area of biomedicine, the Biomaterials Fabrication and Processing Handbook brings together various biomaterials production and processing aspects, including tissue engineering scaffold materials, drug delivery systems, nanobiomaterials, and biosensors. With contributions from renowned international experts and extensive reference lists in each chapter, the volume provides detailed, practical information to produce and use biomaterials. The different facets of biomaterials technology are split into four sections in the book— Part I The development of new materials and devices capable of interacting specifically with biological tissues and the preparation of scaffolds using materials with appropriate composition and structure Part II The necessary materials to create a drug delivery system capable of controlled release and the incorporation of drug reservoirs into implantable devices for sustained controlled release Part III The significant role nanotechnology plays in the biomedical and biotechnology fields Part IV More biomaterials, including synthetic and natural degradable polymeric biomaterials, electroactive polymers as smart materials, and biomaterials for gastrointestinal and cartilage repair and reconstruction