A gel for storing protein therapeutics

Protein therapeutics like insulin and GLP-1 inhibitors have a problem. They tend to aggregate when heated or shaken, robbing them of their potency. Researchers have now developed a low-molecular-weight supramolecular gel that prevents proteins from aggregating and then releases these drugs cleanly when a syringe fitted with a simple filter is used for injection. The finding could change the way protein therapeutics are formulated, possibly eliminating the need for cold storage ( Nature 2024, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07580-0 ). Low-molecular-weight supramolecular gels tend to form stiff materials rather than squishy ones—a liability when they're used for growing tissue or culturing cells. But scientists in Matthew I. Gibson's group at the University of Manchester and Dave J. Adams's group at the University of Glasgow reasoned they could use this perceived failing to their advantage. If the protein-loaded gel is made within a syringe, the force of the syringe's plunger causes the stiff gel