Dynamic Peptide-Phosphate-based Hydrogels for Modelling Diseases and Therapeutic Interventions

Supramolecular biomaterials represent a promising solution to address complex challenges in advanced therapies and disease modelling platforms.

D-PhosMate’s overarching aim is to explore different formulation strategies and molecular designs based on enzymes, natural phosphate-containing units, and peptide amphiphile building blocks, to generate self-assembling hydrogels with time-dependent mechanical and degradation properties as vehicles for the delivery of living therapeutics (generated in situ) and in vitro extracellular matrix models along disease progression.

These biocompatible hydrogels will exhibit enzyme-instructed biomechanical and chemical tuneability, which represent versatile platforms that will be leveraged for two applications.

First, for the post-operative treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (the most aggressive malignant brain tumour), and second, for understating the molecular mechanisms responsible for ectopic calcifications (the mineralisation of the extracellular matrix of soft tissues like kidneys, joints, heart valves, and arteries, among others).Outcomes from the project will benefit several communities, including peptide and supramolecular chemistry, biomaterials science, bioengineering, cancer, and cardiovascular medicine, among others.

All of this, while providing advanced training and career development opportunities for a young researcher at the intersection of advanced biomaterials design, peptide nanotechnology, and precision medicine.

Molecular tools provided by D-PhosMate will increase available cancer therapeutic choices and will contribute to improving the translation of preclinical research, enhancing success rates of clinical trials (with a consequent multibillion-dollar impact) and the life quality improvement of patients in need of innovative therapies.