Self-assembled gels for controlled delivery of biologics and methods of making thereof

Gels are formed based on generally recognized as safe (GRAS) low molecular weight amphiphilic molecules in a self-assembly process. Therapeutic or prophylactic agents, such as biological macromolecules, are loaded without exposure to temperatures and/or organic solvents which can degrade or destroy the biologic agents and/or their activity. The resulting self-assembled gel composition contains microstructures having pores and aqueous domains at their interior, rendering them permeable to hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules. This permeability allows sequestration of the biological macromolecules. Once sequestered, the electrostatic, hydrophobic-hydrophobic etc interactions between the biological macromolecules and the amphiphilic gelators keep the labile payload encapsulated with high stability until the microstructures are degraded.