Biomaterial Characterisation of Self-Assembling β3-Peptide Hydrogels for Delivery of Therapeutics

Stem cell therapy holds promise to treat chronic diseases, but the short persistence of stem cells after delivery to an injured organ hampers it's therapeutic effect. New delivery methods are required to increase stem cell retention. This thesis describes the development of peptide hydrogels for long-term delivery of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of chronic kidney disease. New methods for hydrogel characterisation by scanning electron microscopy were developed. Novel hydrogels were developed, with cell penetrating properties which may be used in future research to deliver therapeutic cargo such as drugs.