Glutathione-triggered formation of a Fmoc-protected short peptide-based supramolecular hydrogel

Abstract

A biocompatible method of glutathione (GSH) catalyzed disulfide bond reduction was used to form Fmoc-short peptidebased supramolecular hydrogels. The hydrogels could form in both buffer solution and cell culture medium containing 10% of Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) within minutes. The hydrogel was characterized by rheology, transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescence emission spectra. Their potential in three dimensional (3D) cell culture was evaluated and the results indicated that the gel with a low concentration of the peptide (0.1 wt%) was suitable for 3D cell culture of 3T3 cells. This study provides an alternative candidate of supramolecular hydrogel for 3D cell culture and cell delivery.