Volume 52, Issue 24 pp. 6233-6237
Communication

γ-Ray-Responsive Supramolecular Hydrogel Based on a Diselenide-Containing Polymer and a Peptide

Wei Cao

Wei Cao

Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular, Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

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Xiaoli Zhang

Xiaoli Zhang

State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China)

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Xiaoming Miao

Xiaoming Miao

State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China)

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Prof. Zhimou Yang

Corresponding Author

Prof. Zhimou Yang

State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China)

Zhimou Yang, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China)

Huaping Xu, Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular, Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

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Prof. Huaping Xu

Corresponding Author

Prof. Huaping Xu

Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular, Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

Zhimou Yang, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China)

Huaping Xu, Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular, Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

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First published: 29 April 2013
Citations: 179

This research was supported financially by the National Basic Research Program of China (2013CB834502), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21074066, 51222303), the Foundation for Innovative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21121004), Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program (2012Z02131), and an NSFC-DFG joint grant (TRR 61). We acknowledge Prof. Xi Zhang (Tsinghua University) for his stimulating suggestions and discussions, and Prof. Zhibo Li (Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences) for cryo-TEM measurements.

Graphical Abstract

An overwhelming response: The exposure of a supramolecular hydrogel based on a diselenide-containing polymer and a peptide amphiphile containing a drug moiety to γ radiation led to a gel–sol transition owing to the oxidative cleavage of diselenide bonds in the polymer main chain (see picture). The hydrogel can also act as a UV-mediated drug self-delivery system and suggests a new avenue for combined radio- and chemotherapy.

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