Antifreezing self-assembled peptide agent with a cryopreservation activity

Abstract

Antifreeze protein (AFP) found in fishes, insects, plants, bacteria, and so on can be used as a cryopreservation agent by the ability to protect the organisms from freezing at the subzero environment through inhibiting ice recrystallization or thermal hysteresis. However, it is hard to apply the natural AFPs to practical applications due to their difficulties which have been encountered in extraction from nature and undesired degradation. These challenges have led to developing artificial cryopreservation agents like dimethyl sulfoxide and sodium phosphates but they show cytotoxicity and are not biocompatible. Here, the natural AFP mimetic short peptides conjugated with specific amino acids showing antifreeze activity and fibrous assembly enhanced π-π stacking are prepared by supramolecular chemistry to enhance both antifreeze activity and biocompatibility. This research might provide a useful strategy to fabricate the cryopreservation agent through the supramolecular nanomaterials.