Collection: 3Helix Collagen Hybridizing Peptides (CHPs)

3Helix Collagen Hybridizing Peptides (CHPs)

3Helix Collagen Hybridizing Peptides (CHPs) are short peptides that selectively target damaged and remodeling collagen for applications in therapeutics, cosmetics, drug delivery systems, and life science tools.

CHP Technology

The collagen hybridizing peptide (CHP) is a novel and unique peptide that specifically binds unfolded collagen chains, both in vitro and in vivo. By sharing the Gly-X-Y repeating sequence of natural collagen, CHP has a strong capability to hybridize with denatured collagen chains by reforming the triple helical structure, in a fashion similar to DNA fragments annealing to complementary DNA strands. CHP is extremely specific: it has negligible affinity to intact collagen molecules due to lack of binding sites, and it is inert towards non-specific binding because of its neutral and hydrophilic nature.

CHP is a powerful histopathology tool which enables straightforward detection of inflammation and tissue damage caused by a large variety of diseases, as well as tissue remodeling during development and aging. CHP robustly visualizes the pericellular matrix turnover caused by proteolytic migration of cancer cells within 3D collagen culture, without the use of synthetic fluorogenic matrices or genetically modified cells. CHP can measure and localize mechanical injury to collagenous tissue at the molecular level. It also enables assessment of collagen denaturation in decellularized extracellular matrix. In addition, CHP can be used to specifically visualize collagen bands in SDS-PAGE gels without the need for western blot.

Applications

In many diseases, collagen damage disrupts normal cell communication, tissue structure, and repair processes—driving inflammation, accelerating tissue breakdown, and contributing to poor health outcomes. Addressing this fundamental issue opens new possibilities for therapeutic intervention across multiple conditions.

• Cell invasion - reveal collagen turnover: Gain direct evidence of protease mechanisms by imaging degraded collagen in complex 3D settings. This robust method bypasses synthetic hydrogels and genetic modification, overcoming key assay limitations. Such clarity is vital for understanding cancer metastasis and finding new therapies against invasive diseases. More on cell invasion...
• Histopathology - unlock new insights in tissue damage: CHPs precisely detect and quantify denatured collagen, a hallmark of disease. CHPs are applicable to nearly all tissue types and a wide range of medical areas. More on histopathology...
  
• Mechanical damage - quantifying structural collagen damage: CHPs precisely detect and quantify denatured collagen to detect molecular level subfailure damage to collagen in mechanically stretched tendon fascicles. More on mechanical damage...
• Collagen identification - detecting collagen in SDS-PAGE gels: CHPs enable facile, sensitive, and specific collagen detection in SDS-PAGE gels by its triple-helical hybridization with SDS/heat-denatured collagen during electrophoresis. This simple method avoids Western blot steps (e.g., membrane transfer, blocking), saving time, effort, and materials. More on collagen identification...
• Collagen quantification - fluorescent quantification of total collagen: Total collagen staining with CHPs is made possible with a step-by-step guide with an Image-J / FIJI imaging protocol. More on collagen quantification...

Indications

• Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF):
  • Clearly understand collagen dynamics in IPF: Gain unprecedented insights into IPF pathogenesis and progression by specifically targeting damaged collagen with CHPs. More on IPF...
• Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH, formerly NASH):
  • Visualize and quantify MASH disease activity: Target damaged collagen with CHPs for an accurate assessment of disease activity level. More on MASH...
• Multiple Myeloma:
  • Visualizing collagen remodeling in multiple myeloma: CHPs can monitor collagen degradation in multiple myeloma, crucial for understanding the disease's progression and response to treatment. More on multiple myeloma...
• Myocardial Infarction (MI):
  • Map collagen damage in MI: With CHPs you can visualize collagen damage from 3 days post-MI onward, and observe its direct correlation to macrophage infiltration. More on MI...
• Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC):
  • Bind PDAC desmoplasia with CHPs: Quantify changes in collagen content in PDAC research models with CHPs to assess stromal-targeted therapies, desmoplastic growth, and PDAC metastasis. More on PDAC...
• Subretinal Fibrosis (nAMD):
  • Image active subretinal fibrosis with CHPs: Visualize active collagen remodeling in subretinal fibrosis, in vitro and in vivo, using CHPs to monitor disease activity and assess therapeutic efficacy. More on subretinal fibrosis...

Choosing a CHP

• F-CHP: Labeled with fluorescein (5-FAM, green fluorescence, Ex/Em ~495 nm / ~520 nm). A popular choice for direct fluorescence detection in histology, immunofluorescence (IF), or in vitro assays.
• R-CHP: Labeled with sulfo-Cyanine3 (Cy3, red fluorescence, Ex/Em ~550 nm / ~570 nm). Functionally equivalent to F-CHP in binding effectiveness. Recommended for tissues with high autofluorescence in the green spectrum or when needing to avoid spectral overlap with other green markers.
• B-CHP: Labeled with biotin. Detected using avidin/streptavidin conjugated to a fluorophore or enzyme (e.g., HRP) of your choice. Offers flexible detection options, signal amplification, and can help avoid background noise.
• In vivo CHP: Labeled with sulfo-Cyanine7.5 (sCy7.5, near-infrared fluorescence). Incorporates our newest sequence, allowing direct injection into animals without a pre-activation heating step. Also usable for histology on tissue sections, though it is more expensive than CHPs optimized for histology.
• Auto-CHP: Specifically formulated for use in auto-staining platforms. Currently available for select partners. Please inquire if you are interested in this option.
• Scrambled Control Peptides (e.g., Scrambled R-CHP): These peptides have a randomized amino acid sequence and do not bind specifically to denatured collagen. They serve as a negative control to assess non-specific binding or background signal in your samples. Recommended for validating the specificity of CHP staining.

Resources

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Ilex Life Sciences LLC is an authorized worldwide distributor of 3Helix CHPs.