The present invention examines the interaction between an angiopoietin-1 mimetic peptide, QHREDGS (glutamine-histidine-arginine-glutamic acid-aspartic acid-glycine-serine (SEQ ID NO: 1)) immobilized to a collagen-chitosan hydrogel, and murine bone marrow derived macrophages. When macrophages were cultured in the presence of the peptide conjugated to a hydrogel, both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were produced, in contrast to the application of soluble peptide which elicited minimal cytokine secretion. This indicates a unique macrophage polarization with covalently immobilized peptide hydrogels, which can be beneficial in the context of the wound microenvironment.