Molecular nanofibers of olsalazine form supramolecular hydrogels for reductive release of an anti-inflammatory agent.

Conjugation of tripeptide derivatives with olsalazine, a clinically used anti-inflammatory prodrug, yields small molecules that self-assemble in water to form supramolecular hydrogels that undergo a gel-to-sol phase transition upon reduction, resulting in the controlled release of 5-aminosalicylic acid as the anti-inflammatory agent. This methodology will ultimately lead to new biomaterials for site-specific drug delivery.