Citation: Weiqi Zhang, Hang Wu, Limin Xie, Yixin Liang, Xiaowan Huang, Zhimou Yang, Tengyan Xu, Feng Lin. A two-component peptide-based hydrogel for endometrial repair and restoring fertility[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2025, 36(10): 110800. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110800 shu

A two-component peptide-based hydrogel for endometrial repair and restoring fertility

Weiqi Zhang ^a ,
Hang Wu ^b ,
Limin Xie ^b ,
Yixin Liang ^a ,
Xiaowan Huang ^a ,
Zhimou Yang ^b ,
Tengyan Xu ^{b, *,} ,
Feng Lin ^{a, *,}

a.
Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
b.
Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Cancer Biomarker Discovery and Translation, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China

linfeng@wmu.edu.cn

Received Date: 24 October 2024
Revised Date: 23 December 2024
Accepted Date: 24 December 2024
Available Online: 25 December 2024

Figures(4)

Endometrial injury caused by intrauterine procedures can result in infertility and recurrent miscarriages, and the current clinical treatments are inadequate for effective endometrial repair. The implantation of anti-adhesion hydrogels combined with growth factors is a promising strategy to address endometrial injury. Insulin-like growth factor 1 is closely associated with endometrial growth and plays a crucial role in endometrial receptivity that is essential for fertility. However, its high cost, environmental sensitivity, and short biological half-life limit its practical applications. In this study, we developed a two-component peptide-based hydrogel consisting of a biotinylated peptide and an insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) mimetic peptide, both of which were designed with self-assembly capabilities. The resultant hydrogel exhibited significant mechanical properties and retained its native IGF-1 bioactivity. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the hydrogel significantly facilitated proliferation and vascular restoration. Additionally, it effectively reduced fibrosis by decreasing collagen accumulation, restoring the expression of progesterone receptors, and enhancing endometrial receptivity, which are crucial for embryo implantation. These findings highlight the potential of the two-component peptide-based hydrogel as an innovative therapeutic approach for treating endometrial injury.
- Intrauterine adhesion,
- Endometrial repair,
- Self-assembly peptide,
- Hydrogel,
- IGF-1 mimetic peptide
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