A method has been developed of preventing or limiting formation of adhesions by administering to a site in need thereof, in the absence of or after bleeding or leakage of fluid has been substantially stopped, a self-assembling material which forms a barrier to formation of adhesions. In one embodiment, the self-assembling material comprises peptides having a sequence of amino acid residues conforming to one or more of Formulas I-IV: ((Xaaneu-Xaa+)xXaaneu-Xaa-)y)n (I) ((Xaaneu-Xaa-)x(Xaaneu-Xaa+)y)n (II) ((Xaa+-Xaaneu)x(Xaa--Xaaneu)y)n (III) ((Xaa--Xaaneu)x(Xaa+-Xaaneu)y)n (IV),where Xaaneu represents an amino acid residue having a neutral charge； Xaa+ represents an amino acid residue having a positive charge； Xaa- represents an amino acid residue having a negative charge； x and y are integers having a value of 1, 2, 3 or 4, independently； and n is an integer having a value of 1-5. In another embodiment, the self assembling materials are peptidomimetics, nucleotidomimetics, di- and triblock copolymers, N-alkylacrylamides, or dendimers. These materials are also useful in a method for regeneration or repair of tissue or cells forming tissue.
