Abstract: A method of creating intracellular artificial nanostructures in situ, which employees a chemical precursor. The precursor does not self-assemble due to the presence of a cleavable motif linked to it. When the precursor comes inside live cells by an uptaking mechanism on the cell membrane, the cleavable motif is then to be removed by an enzymatic action of a first enzyme. Without the cleavable motif, the precursor now engages in a self-assembling process to form nanostructures within the live cells, which may cause formation of a hydrogel. Furthermore, the self-assembling process can be made reversible by employing a second enzyme which puts the cleavable motif back to the precursor, whereby dissolving the nanostructures into solution.

Abstract: A method of creating intracellular artificial nanostructures in situ, which employees a chemical precursor. The precursor does not self-assemble due to the presence of a cleavable motif linked to it. When the precursor comes inside live cells by an uptaking mechanism on the cell membrane, the cleavable motif is then to be removed by an enzymatic action of a first enzyme. Without the cleavable motif, the precursor now engages in a self-assembling process to form nanostructures within the live cells, which may cause formation of a hydrogel. Furthermore, the self-assembling process can be made reversible by employing a second enzyme which puts the cleavable motif back to the precursor, whereby dissolving the nanostructures into solution.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for controlling the fate of mammalian cells or microorganisms by the enzymatic formation of intracellular nanostructures. Enzymatic reactions trigger the intracellular self-assembly to convert a proper precursor into another molecule or nanoobject that will aggregate inside cells or inside or between tissues or organs. Further, this invention provides a method for making artificial nanostructures inside or between tissues or organs, by injecting a proper designed precursor into tissues or organs, and enzymatic reaction converting the precursor to a hydrogelator to form artificial nanostructures and inducing hydrogelation and at the state of a disease, another enzyme converts the hydrogelator back to precursor to induce gel-to-sol transition to release a drug.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the design and application of a supramolecular hydrogel having a three-dimensional, self-assembling, elastic, network structure comprising non-polymeric, functional molecules and a liquid medium, whereby the functional molecules are noncovalently crosslinked. The functional molecules may be, for instance, anti-inflammatory molecules, antibiotics, metal chelators, anticancer agents, small peptides, surface-modified nanoparticles, or a combination thereof. The design of the hydrogel includes: 1) modifying functional molecules to convert them into hydrogelators while enhancing or maintaining their therapeutic properties and 2) triggering the hydrogelation process by physical, chemical, or enzymatic processes, thereby resulting in the creation of a supramolecular hydrogel via formation of non-covalent crosslinks by the functional molecules.

Abstract: The present invention provides supramolecular hydrogels having a three-dimensional, self-assembling, elastic, network structure comprising non-polymeric, functional molecules and a liquid medium, whereby the functional molecules are noncovalently crosslinked. The functional molecules may be, for instance, anti-inflammatory molecules, antibiotics, metal chelators, anticancer agents, small peptides, surface-modified nanoparticles, or a combination thereof. Applications of the present invention include use of the supramolecular hydrogel, for instance, as a biomaterial for wound healing, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and drug/inhibitor screening.