Self-organization of a chiral D-EAK16 designer peptide into a 3D nanofiber scaffold

Macromol Biosci. 2008 Aug 11;8(8):785-91. doi: 10.1002/mabi.200800003.

Abstract

Self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffolds are an excellent material for applications such as tissue repair, tissue regeneration, instant stopping of bleeding, and slow drug release. We report a new self-assembling peptide D-EAK16 consisting purely of D-amino acids. D-EAK16 and L-EAK16 display mirror-image CD spectra at 20 degrees C. Like L-EAK16, D-EAK16 self-assembles into nanofibers, thus demonstrating that chiral self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffolds can be made from both L- and D-amino acids. We also show that D-peptide nanofibers are resistant to natural proteases and may thus be useful in biotechnology, nanobiotechnology, tissue repair and tissue regeneration as well as other medical applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure
  • Oligopeptides / chemistry*

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Oligopeptides