Enhancing the Inhibition of Corneal Neovascularization Efficacy by Self-Assembled into Supramolecular Hydrogel of Anti-Angiogenic Peptide.

Abstract

Corneal neovascularization (CNV) is a common eye disease that leads to blindness. New treatment strategies are urgently needed due to the limitations of current treatment methods. We report the synthesis of peptide Nap-FFEEPCAIWF ( Comp.3 ) via chemical conjugation of Nap-FFEE ( Comp.2 ) to antiangiogenic peptide PCAIWF (Comp.1). Comp.3 self-assembled into a hydrogel ( gel of 3 ) composed of nanofibers, which enhanced the antiangiogenic function of the epitope. We developed a novel peptide with an amphiphilic framework, Comp.3 , which could self-assemble into a supramolecular hydrogel with a well-ordered nanofiber structure. The nanofibers exhibited good biocompatibility with corneal epithelial cells, presenting a promising strategy to enhance the efficacy of free peptide-based drugs in the treatment of ocular vascular diseases, such as CNV and other angiogenesis-related diseases. Nap-FFEEPCAIWF nanofibers provide an alternative approach to enhancing the therapeutic efficiency of free peptide-based drugs against ocular vascular diseases.