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Several microfabrication technologies have been used to engineer native-like skeletal muscle tissues. However, the successful development of muscle remains a significant challenge in the tissue engineering field. Muscle tissue engineering aims to combine muscle precursor cells aligned within a highly organized 3D structure and biological factors crucial to support cell differentiation and maturation into functional myotubes and myofibers. In this study, the use of 3D bioprinting is proposed for the fabrication of muscle tissues using gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) incorporating sustained insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)-releasing microparticles and myoblast cells. This study hypothesizes that functional and mature myotubes will be obtained more efficiently using a bioink that can release IGF-1 sustainably for in vitro muscle engineering. Synthesized microfluidic-assisted polymeric microparticles demonstrate successful adsorption of IGF-1 and sustained release of IGF-1 at physiological pH for at least 21 days. Incorporating the IGF-1-releasing microparticles in the GelMA bioink assisted in promoting the alignment of myoblasts and differentiation into myotubes. Furthermore, the myotubes show spontaneous contraction in the muscle constructs bioprinted with IGF-1-releasing bioink. The proposed bioprinting strategy aims to improve the development of new therapies applied to the regeneration and maturation of muscle tissues., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Peptide-based hydrogel biomaterials have emerged as an excellent strategy for immune system modulation. Peptide-based hydrogels are supramolecular materials that self-assemble into various nanostructures through various interactive forces (i.e., hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions) and respond to microenvironmental stimuli (i.e., pH, temperature). While they have been reported in numerous biomedical applications, they have recently been deemed promising candidates to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies and treatments. Immunotherapies seek to harness the body's immune system to preemptively protect against and treat various diseases, such as cancer. However, their low efficacy rates result in limited patient responses to treatment. Here, the immunomaterial's potential to improve these efficacy rates by either functioning as immune stimulators through direct immune system interactions and/or delivering a range of immune agents is highlighted. The chemical and physical properties of these peptide-based materials that lead to immuno modulation and how one may design a system to achieve desired immune responses in a controllable manner are discussed. Works in the literature that reports peptide hydrogels as adjuvant systems and for the delivery of immunotherapies are highlighted. Finally, the future trends and possible developments based on peptide hydrogels for cancer immunotherapy applications are discussed., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The eye is one of the most complex organs in the human body, containing rich and critical physiological information (e.g., intraocular pressure, corneal temperature, and pH) as well as a library of metabolite biomarkers (e.g., glucose, proteins, and specific ions). Smart contact lenses (SCLs) can serve as a wearable intelligent ocular prosthetic device capable of noninvasive and continuous monitoring of various essential physical/biochemical parameters and drug loading/delivery for the treatment of ocular diseases. Advances in SCL technologies and the growing public interest in personalized health are accelerating SCL research more than ever before. Here, the current status and potential of SCL development through a comprehensive review from fabrication to applications to commercialization are discussed. First, the material, fabrication, and platform designs of the SCLs for the diagnostic and therapeutic applications are discussed. Then, the latest advances in diagnostic and therapeutic SCLs for clinical translation are reviewed. Later, the established techniques for wearable power transfer and wireless data transmission applied to current SCL devices are summarized. An outlook, future opportunities, and challenges for developing next-generation SCL devices are also provided. With the rise in interest of SCL development, this comprehensive and essential review can serve as a new paradigm for the SCL devices., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Supramolecular gels are a fascinating class of soft materials that have attracted significant attention in recent years. They are composed of small molecule gelators that assemble into supramolecular network structures. The resulting space is filled with solvent. Some gel materials are able to respond to various stimuli making them attractive drug delivery vehicles and as matrices for tissue regeneration. Peptide-based gel materials are particularly attractive as they possess numerous advantages including biocompatibility and biodegradability. Stimuli-responsive peptides that alter properties as a function of pH, redox, temperature, and enzymes offer the potential to create materials with tunable characteristics. In addition, the ability of metal ions to improve the strength of gelation or act as a scaffold has become an interesting approach to develop dynamic peptide gel materials. In this review, the stimuli-responsive properties (pH, redox, temperature, and enzyme responsive properties), as well as the biocompatible/-degradable nature of the peptide gelators are highlighted. In addition, metal ions are discussed as a stimulus to enhance peptide gelation and a number of potential applications of these peptide gelators are provided with an outlook on future directions., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Bio-organometallic ferrocene-containing amino acids and peptides have been reported to form gels and are interesting to study due to their structural properties and applications for biological purposes. In this study, a ferrocene-dicarboxylic acid derivative of the dipeptide tryptophan-tryptophan was investigated. The indolic nitrogen in the amino acid tryptophan is important for biological functions due to its role in hydrogen bonding. Here, intermolecular interactions with the indolic nitrogen allow this conjugate to self-assemble into a fibrous supramolecular structure that forms a stable gel. Rheological analysis demonstrates the self-healing nature of this gel. Interestingly, X-ray analysis of this ferrocene-peptide conjugate reveals close contacts involving tryptophan, in particular the indole NH group in interactions with an adjacent neighboring molecule., (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)