2023-10-24 19:10:00
Australian researchers have developed a new material that might transform the way human tissue is grown in laboratories and used in medical procedures. This discovery might have major implications in medical research and medical procedures.
Trpzip: an innovative hydrogel
UNSW Sydney scientists have developed a new hydrogel, named Trpzip, which mimics the properties of natural human tissues. Unlike existing synthetic hydrogels, Trpzip is bioactive et antimicrobialpromoting the natural behavior of cells and preventing bacterial infections.
The material is self-healing, making it ideal for use in biological 3D printing and as an injectable material for medicine. The hydrogel was discovered during the Covid-19 lockdown through computer simulations and offers an ethical alternative to animal-derived hydrogels.
Hydrogels: an essential substance
The new material belongs to a family of substances called hydrogels, the essence of substances ” soft » of life found in all living things, such as cartilage in animals and in plants like algae. The properties of hydrogels make them very useful in biomedical research because they can mimic human tissues, allowing cells to grow in the laboratory.
“Trpzip” hydrogel material is self-healing, meaning it will reform following being crushed, fractured, or expelled from a syringe. It is therefore ideal for 3D bioprinting or as an injectable material for medicine.
There are also man-made hydrogels that are used in a wide range of products from food and cosmetics to contact lenses and absorbent materials, and more recently in medical research to seal wounds and replace damaged tissues.
A surprising discovery during confinement
Ashley Nguyen, doctoral student in the School of ChemistryUNSW and lead author of the paper, made this discovery during the Covid-19 lockdown using computer simulations. Ms Nguyen was looking for molecules that self-assemble – where they organize themselves spontaneously without human intervention – and stumbled upon the concept of ‘tryptophan zippers’.
These short chains of amino acids with several tryptophanes act like a zipper to promote self-assembly, which have been nicknamed ” Trpzip ». « I was excited to identify a unique peptide sequence using computer simulations that might form a hydrogel », added Ashley Nguyen. « After we returned to the lab, I synthesized the lead candidate and was pleased to see that it actually formed a gel. »
Synthetic
The discovery of this hydrogel has the potential to be an ethical alternative to widely used natural materials.
« Natural hydrogels are used throughout society – from food processing to cosmetics – but require harvesting from animals, raising ethical issues “, she says. “ Additionally, animal-derived materials are problematic for use in humans due to the negative immune reaction that occurs. With Trpzip, we have a synthetic material that not only shows potential in many areas where natural materials are currently used, but might also outperform them in others, such as clinical research. »
The next phase of research aims to explore commercial avenues and partnerships with industry and clinical scientists to test Trpzip in tissue culture and other unique applications like stem cell delivery.
For a better understanding
What is Trpzip?
Trpzip is a new hydrogel developed by researchers at UNSW Sydney. It mimics the properties of natural human tissues, is bioactive and antimicrobial, promoting the natural behavior of cells and preventing bacterial infections.
What are the advantages of Trpzip compared to existing hydrogels?
Unlike existing synthetic hydrogels, Trpzip is bioactive and antimicrobial. Additionally, it is self-healing, making it ideal for use in biological 3D printing and as an injectable material for medicine.
Trpzip was discovered during the Covid-19 lockdown using computer simulations. Researchers were looking for molecules that self-assemble and discovered the concept of ‘tryptophan zippers’.
What are the ethical advantages of Trpzip?
Trpzip offers an ethical alternative to animal-derived hydrogels. Natural materials require harvesting from animals, which poses ethical issues and can cause a negative immune response in humans.
What’s next for Trpzip?
The next phase of research aims to explore commercial avenues and partnerships with industry and clinical scientists to test Trpzip in tissue culture and other unique applications like stem cell delivery.
In a research article published in Nature Communications : “Hierarchical assembly of tryptophan zipper peptides into stress-relaxing bioactive hydrogels”, UNSW scientists describe how a new laboratory-made hydrogel behaves like natural tissue, with a number of surprising qualities that have implications for medicine, food and manufacturing technology.
Caption main illustration: a self-healing hydrogel material (Credit: UNSW)
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