Scopus İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu / Scopus Indexed Publications Collection
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11147/7148
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Article Self-Assembled Peptide Hydrogels with Cell Attachment Motifs for 3D Lung Cancer Model: Evaluation of Cell-Matrix Interactions and Drug Response(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2026) Top, Ayben; Tamburaci, S.; Top, A.; 03.02. Department of Chemical Engineering; 03. Faculty of Engineering; 01. Izmir Institute of Technology3D cancer models can mimic the tumor microenvironment, serving as a physiologically relevant platform to investigate the behavior of tumors and test anticancer therapeutics. Although bioactive peptide hydrogels have been widely evaluated for tissue engineering applications, their potential in 3D cancer models has been confirmed in only a few studies. In this study, self-assembling peptide hydrogels containing LDV (IBP1) and LDV and IKVAV cell attachment motifs (IBP2), and the control hydrogel without adhesion units (KLEI) were used for lung cancer modeling. The peptides self-assembled into hydrogels in a cell culture medium with storage moduli of ∼700–1500 Pa. The IBP1 and IBP2 hydrogels enhanced A549 cell proliferation and induced the formation of spheroids with average diameters between ∼70 and ∼150 µm. The cells in KLEI hydrogel with the highest stiffness exhibited mesenchymal-type migration, independent of the cell population, whereas transformation to mesenchymal migration necessitated a specific cell population in the IBP2 hydrogel. The cells in the IBP1 and IBP2 hydrogels with enhanced cell-cell interactions demonstrated higher resistance to docetaxel (DTX). Thus, our results indicate that these bioactive hydrogels can serve as a promising platform for in vitro assessment of cancer mechanisms and drug screening. © 2026 Wiley-VCH GmbH.Article Comparative Stability of Synthetic and Natural Polymeric Micelles in Physiological Environments: Implications for Drug Delivery(MDPI, 2025) Polat, Hürriyet; Polat, Mehmet; Polat, Mehmet; Koss, Kyle M.; Polat, Onur K.; 04.01. Department of Chemistry; 04. Faculty of Science; 03.02. Department of Chemical Engineering; 03. Faculty of Engineering; 01. Izmir Institute of TechnologyPolymeric micelles are widely studied as nanocarriers for hydrophobic drugs, yet their structural stability under physiological conditions remains a major limitation. This review provides a comparative evaluation of synthetic and natural polymeric micelles with a focus on their stability under dilution and in protein-rich environments. The discussion integrates thermodynamic and kinetic factors governing micelle integrity and examines how molecular composition, hydrophobic segment length, and core-shell modifications influence disintegration behavior. While synthetic micelles commonly collapse below their critical micelle concentration during intravenous administration, natural polymeric micelles, such as those derived from chitosan, alginate, or heparin, exhibit improved resistance to dilution but remain vulnerable to protein-induced destabilization. Strategies such as core or shell cross-linking, surface functionalization, and natural polymer coatings are reviewed as promising approaches to enhance circulation stability and controlled drug release. The work provides a framework for designing micellar systems with balanced biocompatibility, biodegradability, and robustness suitable for clinical drug-delivery applications.Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 2Integration of Leu-Asp Cell Attachment Motif Into Self-Assembling Peptide Sequences for Nanofibrillar Hydrogel Formation in Wound Healing(Amer Chemical Soc, 2025) Sırma Tarım, Burcu; Top, Ayben; Tamburaci, Sedef; Top, Ayben; Uysal, Berk; Top, Ayben; 03.02. Department of Chemical Engineering; 03. Faculty of Engineering; 01. Izmir Institute of TechnologyFunctionalizing peptide sequences with cell adhesion motifs enhances their cellular bioactivity. Numerous studies have focused on incorporating the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif into peptide hydrogels; however, the integration of other bioactive domains has yet to be comprehensively investigated. In this study, one of the essential fibronectin-derived cell-binding domains, Leu-Asp-Val (LDV), was integrated into the self-assembling peptide to obtain extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimetic nanofibrillar hydrogelators. IBP1A (NH2-KLDVKLDVKLKV-CONH2) and IBP1B (NH2-KLDVKLDVKLDV-CONH2) peptides were designed accordingly. These peptides self-assemble into hydrogels in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at pH 7.4 and deionized water at neutral pH with storage modulus values between similar to 200 and similar to 2000 Pa. Flow curves and the cyclic strain sweep data confirmed that the hydrogels have shear thinning, injectability, and self-healing properties. Flexible nanofibrillar morphology was observed in the TEM images. Nanofibril widths of IBP1A and IBP1B networks were measured as 8.2 +/- 1.1 and 4.5 +/- 0.8 nm, respectively. In vitro tests were also conducted to evaluate these peptides in wound healing applications. The IBP1A peptide with a +3 charge at neutral pH exhibited modest antibacterial activity against Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria. In vitro cell culture experiments show that the IBP1A and IBP1B hydrogels promoted the growth of fibroblast cells and glycosaminoglycan secretion compared with the KLDL12 control peptide, which does not contain the LDV motif. The designed hydrogels induced cell attachment within 72 h by altering the cell morphology similar to their natural 3D microenvironment, whereas cells exhibited spindle-like morphology on the KLDL12 hydrogel and tissue culture polystyrene (TCP). Moreover, IBP1B accelerated in vitro wound healing by facilitating fibroblast migration. These results suggest that these bioactive injectable peptide hydrogels have potential in wound healing and skin tissue regeneration.