Rafaela Malta

Mrs. Rafaela Malta

Faculty of Pharmacy of University of Porto

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
6 October 2023 in Gels
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
RMRafaela Malta
Rafaela Malta
Ana Camila MarquesAna Camila Marques
Ana Camila Marques
PCPaulo Jorge Cardoso da Costa
Paulo Jorge Cardoso da Costa
MAMaria Helena Amaral
Maria Helena Amaral
Proteins and peptides are potential therapeutic agents, but their physiochemical properties make their use as drug substances challenging. Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymeric networks that can swell and retain high amounts of water or biological fluids without being dissolved. Due to their biocompatibility, their porous structure, which enables the transport of various peptides and proteins, and their protective effect against degradation, hydrogels have gained prominence as ideal carriers for these molecules’ delivery. Particularly, stimuli-responsive hydrogels exhibit physicochemical transitions in response to subtle modifications in the surrounding environment, leading to the controlled release of entrapped proteins or peptides. This review is focused on the application of these hydrogels in protein and peptide delivery, including a brief overview of therapeutic proteins and types of stimuli-responsive polymers.