Table 2.

Designer self‐assembling peptide hydrogels to culture cells in bioengineering TMEs for 3D cell cultures

Peptide names	Physiochemical features	Tumor cell types	Description in applications	Refs.
PuraMatrix hydrogel (COCH3‐RADARADARADARADA‐CONH2)	High‐water content; 3–6 kPa storage modulus; fibril entanglements	A2780, A2780/DDP, SK‐OV‐3, OVCAR‐5 cells; MDA‐MB‐231 and MDA‐MB‐453 stem cells; hepG2 cells; PANC‐1 cells.	Functionalized modification; Easy to isolate cells; Tumor heterogeneity; 3D culture; Drug sensitivity assay; Phenotype presentation	[ 80 , 142 , 170 , 223 ]
EAK16‐II Hydrogel (CONH3‐AEAEAKAKAEAEAKAK‐CONH2)	The same as RADA16‐I hydrogel	A549; MCF‐7	Easy to isolate cells; High cell viability Drug delivery nanocarrier; Low cytotoxicity; 3D cell culture.	[ 229 ]
H9e peptide hydrogel (FLIVIGSIIGPGGDGPGGD)	Shear‐thinning and easy recovery Self‐assembling hydrogelation.	MCF7 breast cancer cells	Simple cell recovery Tumor‐like cell clusters Superior physiological properties Multiple cell assays; 3D cell cultures.	[ 103 ]
EFK8 hydrogel (EFK8‐I and EFK8‐II) (FEFEFKFK) (EFK8‐SWNT)	Better mechanical strength Disperse carbon nanotubes	NIH‐3T3 cells, A549 cancer cells, MCF7 cancer cells, pluripotent stem cells, MCF10A and MCF10DCIS.	High cell anchorage for attachment, spreading, proliferation and movement The stretched morphology; 3D cell cultures Cell behavior assay Cell–peptide scaffold interactions.	[ 64 , 207 ]
MAX1 and MAX8 hydrogel [MAX1:VKVKVKVK‐VDPPT‐KVKVKVKV‐NH2; MAX8:VKVKVKVK‐VDPPT‐KVEVKVKV‐NH2]	Shear‐thinning behavior Stiffness modulus G′ ≈600 Pa Solid hydrogels Rehealing or self‐healing hydrogel	C3H10t1/2 stem cells Osteosarcoma MG63 cells ONS‐76 cells.	Functionalized modification Low‐viscosity gel Unique gel‐cell constructs Homogeneous distribution Controllable hydrogelation Injectable solid hydrogels Drug delivery vehicle.	[ 230 ]
Q13 peptide hydrogel Q13(Ac‐QQKFQFQFEQEQQAm) Q11 (Ac‐QQKFQFQFEQQ‐Am) [P11‐I and P11‐II]	Mildly basic pH Storage moduli 1–10 kPa stiff or rigid hydrogel	C3H10T1/2 stem cells Prostate cancer cells (LNCaP).	3D cell culture Tumor spheroid Chemosensitivity assay Scaffold modification 3D drug testing assay.	[ 114b ]
Multidomain peptide hydrogel [K2(SL)6K2 and K(SL)3RG(SL)3KGRGDS]	Ionic or covalent hydrogelation Compatible with ECM Injectable hydrogel.	MOC2‐E6E7, the murine oral cancer cell line; SHED cells	Eightfold slower release rate in collagen hydrogel Easily delivered by syringe Mimic microenvironments in vivo for more complex tissues.	[ 123 , 231 ]
Fmoc dipeptides [Fmoc‐LL, YL, LY, YY]	MMP‐9 triggered gelation Micelle‐to‐fiber transition.	MDA‐MB‐231‐luc‐D3H2LN cells HEK‐293T cells Osteosarcoma SaOs2 cells; ATDC5 cells.	Enzyme‐responsive properties Tunable properties Site‐specific drug release The fibrillar depots Biocatalytic self‐assembly Variable rigidity and stiffness.	[ 125 , 232 ]