Project R-14274

Taming biodegradation in protease-sensitive hydrogels using dissociative bioorthogonal chemistry (Research)

The development of cell interactive hydrogels is mainly responsible for the progress in tissue engineering ove r the past decades Today, the ideal hydrogel is considered to be a dynamic environment that answers the need of the developing tissue. With this in mind, it would be favourable to design hydrogels that remain stable during tissue development but fully degr ade once the material has fulfilled its purpose. Previous research has attempted to control the biodegradation process by varying the cross linking density or by providing competitive substrates for proteases. However, these approaches do not provide activ e control over the onset of degradation. In this project, we will translate the principles of prodrug development to peptide based materials to enable direct control over the onset point of degradation, which may open up new avenues towards the development of dynamic biomaterials.

01 November 2023 - 31 October 2025