Peptides and proteins are present throughout the living world, which can perform tasks as varied as catalyzing complex reactions and serving as the structural framework of living organisms. These unique features make the preparation of synthetic polypeptides an area with the potential for great rewards. Well-defined block copolypeptides, developed in our lab, are novel synthetic biomaterials, whose defined conformations and multitude of block compositions allow for the precise design of materials that can self-assemble into complex associated structures. Amphiphilic diblock copolypeptide hydrogels (DCH) are synthetic copolypeptides with many features that make them attractive as scaffolds or molecule delivery vehicles for central nervous system (CNS) applications. We are developing DCH as vehicles that can be safely and easily injected into specific sites in CNS tissues to deliver potentially therapeutic molecules. We have previously shown that DCH are biocompatible after injection into brain or spinal cord and self-assemble in vivo into structures with finely tunable properties. Our current work shows that DCH can provide prolonged release of bioactive growth factors that influence local neurons in predictable ways and form gradients that are effective up to 5mm away from the hydrogel depots in mouse CNS. We also demonstrate the facile and predictable tunability of DCH to achieve a wide range of loading capacities and release profiles of hydrophobic molecules while retaining CNS compatible physical properties. Figure 1. <img src='https://acs-archive-assets2.s3.amazonaws.com/240nm/uploads/31717_cb1_figure_abstractii.jpg' alt='' />

Diblock copolypeptide hydrogels as vehicles for delivery of bioactive hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic molecules into the central nervous system

247th National Meeting (2014)

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