MAX8
MAX8 is a synthetic β-hairpin peptide that folds rapidly and self-assembles into a β-sheet-rich fibrous hydrogel network via non-covalent crosslinking. MAX8 hydrogel exhibits excellent shear-thinning and self-healing properties, enabling precise delivery via syringe and maintaining local retention after implantation. MAX8 hydrogel can uniformly encapsulate cells while preserving their viability and morphology, and protect growth factors (e.g., NGF) and chemotherapeutic drugs from degradation. MAX8 is applicable for spinal cord injury repair, medulloblastoma treatment, and three-dimensional high-throughput drug screening.
For research use only. We do not sell to patients.
- CAS No.: 944792-75-0
- Formula: C106H196N28O23
- Molecular Weight:2230.86
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Storage:
Please store the product under the recommended conditions in the Certificate of Analysis.
Biological Activity
MAX8 (0.5 wt%) prepared at 37°C in DMEM forms a network of ~3 nm diameter fibrils, as visualized via negatively stained TEM[1].
MAX8 hydrogel (0.5 wt%) encapsulation of 1 μg NGF does not change the physical gelation, shear-thinning, or rehealing properties of the hydrogel[2].
MAX8 hydrogel (0.5 wt%; 7 days) released NGF remains biologically active, inducing neurite-like extension formation in PC12 cells over 7 days without media changes[2].
MAX8 hydrogel (0.5 wt%; 3-7 days) direct contact does not inhibit NGF-induced neurite-like extension formation in PC12 cells, with 76% of cells forming extensions after 7 days[2].
MAX8 hydrogel (0.5 wt%; 14-28 days) encapsulated NGF remains biologically active for at least 28 days, inducing neurite-like extension formation in 86% of PC12 cells, and MAX8 protects NGF/BDNF from degradation, maintaining stable release levels for at least 21 days compared to the ~3.4-3.5 day half-life of unencapsulated growth factors[2].
MAX8 hydrogel (0.5 wt%; 24 hours) released NGF and BDNF remain biologically active, inducing proliferation in 3T3 fibroblasts and activating ERK signaling in PC12 cells[2].
MAX8 (0.5-2 wt%; 1 hour at 20 °C post-gelation) shows that hydrogel stiffness increases linearly with peptide concentration, with plateau elastic moduli ranging from 270 Pa at 0.5 wt% to 3600 Pa at 2 wt%, while maintaining solid-like viscoelastic properties[3].
MAX8 (1.0-1.5 wt%; 24 hours) hydrogels in pH 7.4, 150 mM NaCl D2O buffer at 25°C have a fibril radius of ~1.5 nm and form a more heterogeneous, tightly meshed network with increased fibrillar branching (fractal dimension 1.6) compared to MAX1 hydrogels[4].
MAX8 (0.5% (by weight); 4 h) forms ~3 nm-wide nanofibers consistent with a β-hairpin folded conformation[5].
MedChemExpress (MCE) has not independently confirmed the accuracy of these methods. They are for reference only.
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Cell Line:C3H10t1/2 mesenchymal stem cells
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Concentration:0.5 wt%
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Incubation Time:3 h (post-delivery viability assessment)
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Result:Showed that the majority of C3H10t1/2 cells remained viable (stained green) after shear-thin delivery.
Had a level of cell death nearly identical to control cells encapsulated in MAX8 hydrogel without shear-thin delivery.
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Cell Line:PC12 pheochromocytoma cells
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Concentration:0.5 wt% MAX8; 1 μg NGF
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Incubation Time:7 days
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Result:PC12 cells exposed to NGF released from 0.5 wt% MAX8 developed an extensive network of neurite-like extensions after 7 days, comparable to cells treated with 100 ng/mL NGF added directly to media (with periodic NGF replenishment).
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Cell Line:PC12 pheochromocytoma cells
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Concentration:0.5 wt% MAX8; 1 μg NGF
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Incubation Time:3 days, 7 days
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Result:PC12 cells in direct contact with NGF-loaded 0.5 wt% MAX8 formed neurite-like extensions in 67% of cells after 3 days and 76% of cells after 7 days, with no statistical difference compared to cells treated directly with NGF in media.
Contact with MAX8 alone did not induce neurite formation.
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Cell Line:PC12 pheochromocytoma cells
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Concentration:0.5 wt% MAX8; 1 μg NGF; 1 μg NGF/BDNF (bolus-delivered)
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Incubation Time:14, 21, 28 days (MAX8 incubation before PC12 exposure); up to 28 days (bolus vs encapsulated incubation)
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Result:NGF released from MAX8 incubated for 21 days induced neurite-like extensions in 88% of PC12 cells; NGF from MAX8 incubated for 28 days induced extensions in 86% of cells.
Levels of encapsulated NGF/BDNF in media remained constant for at least 21 days, whereas bolus-delivered NGF/BDNF was almost undetectable after 18 days.
Unencapsulated NGF had a half-life of ~3.5 days, and unencapsulated BDNF had a half-life of ~3.4 days.
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Cell Line:3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblasts, PC12 pheochromocytoma cells
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Concentration:0.5 wt% MAX8; 1 μg NGF; 1 μg NGF or BDNF
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Incubation Time:24 hours (3T3 cells); 24 hours (MAX8 media harvest), 1 hour (PC12 cell incubation)
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Result:3T3 cells proliferated 17-35% more in response to NGF released from MAX8, comparable to cells treated with unencapsulated NGF.
Media from NGF-loaded MAX8 induced increased phosphorylated ERK levels in PC12 cells, confirming activation of the NGF signaling pathway.
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Cell Line:MC3 T3-E1 preosteoblast cells
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Concentration:0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2 wt%
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Incubation Time:24 hours
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Result:Supported ~99% cell viability across all hydrogel concentrations (corresponding to stiffnesses of ~270-3600 Pa) after 24 hours.
Allowed cells to display a well-spread, fibroblast-like morphology.
Enabled cells on 0.75 wt% hydrogels to show stretched F-actin fibers and cellular extensions, indicating cytoskeletal development and strong adhesion to the hydrogel surface.
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Cell Line:DAOY human medulloblastoma cells
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Concentration:0.5 wt% MAX8; 0 nM, 1.6 nM, 8 nM, 40 nM vincristine
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Incubation Time:2 days
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Result:Caused minimal cell death with pure MAX8 hydrogel (0 nM vincristine).
Increased cell death with increasing encapsulated vincristine concentration, reaching an IC50 when 8 nM vincristine was encapsulated.
Confirmed higher encapsulated vincristine concentrations correlated with increased rounded, opaque dead cells via optical micrographs.
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Cell Line:DAOY human medulloblastoma cells
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Concentration:0.5 wt% MAX8; 0 µM, 10 µM, 500 µM vincristine
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Incubation Time:1 hour, 3-7 days, 10-14 days, 17-21 days, 24-28 days
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Result:Induced significantly greater cell death in groups exposed to vincristine-loaded MAX8 hydrogels compared to pure MAX8 hydrogel across all time intervals, including the 24-28 day interval.
Showed higher initial encapsulated vincristine concentrations correlated with increased cell death.
Chemical Information
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CAS No. 944792-75-0
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Molecular Weight 2230.86
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Formula C106H196N28O23
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Sequence
Val-Lys-Val-Lys-Val-Lys-Val-Lys-Val-{d-Pro}-Pro-Thr-Lys-Val-Glu-Val-Lys-Val-Lys-Val-NH2
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Sequence Shortening
VKVKVKVKV-{d-Pro}-PTKVEVKVKV-NH2
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Shipping
Room temperature in continental US; may vary elsewhere.
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Storage
Please store the product under the recommended conditions in the Certificate of Analysis.
Purity & Documentation
References
[1]. Haines-Butterick L, et al. Controlling hydrogelation kinetics by peptide design for three-dimensional encapsulation and injectable delivery of cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2007 May 08;104(19):7791-6. [Content Brief]
[2]. Lindsey S, et al. Beta Hairpin Peptide Hydrogels as an Injectable Solid Vehicle for Neurotrophic Growth Factor Delivery. Biomacromolecules. 2015 Sep 14;16(9):2672-83. [Content Brief]
[3]. Hule RA, et al. Correlations between structure, material properties and bioproperties in self-assembled beta-hairpin peptide hydrogels. Faraday discussions. 2008;139:251-64; discussion 309-25, 419-20. [Content Brief]
[4]. Branco MC, et al. Fast dynamics of semiflexible chain networks of self-assembled peptides. Biomacromolecules. 2009 Jun 08;10(6):1374-80. [Content Brief]
[5]. Leonard SR, et al. Solid-state NMR evidence for β-hairpin structure within MAX8 designer peptide nanofibers. Biophysical journal. 2013 Jul 02;105(1):222-30. [Content Brief]
[6]. Sun JE, et al. Sustained release of active chemotherapeutics from injectable-solid β-hairpin peptide hydrogel. Biomaterials science. 2016 May 26;4(5):839-48. [Content Brief]
Calculators
Concentration (start) × Volume (start) = Concentration (final) × Volume (final)