Arginine-Presenting Peptide Hydrogels Decorated with Hydroxyapatite as Biomimetic Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration

Biomacromolecules. 2017 Nov 13;18(11):3541-3550. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.7b00876. Epub 2017 Sep 12.

Abstract

Hydrogels are promising candidates for biomimetic scaffolds of the extracellular matrix in tissue engineering applications. However, their use in bone tissue engineering is limited due to their low mechanical properties. In this study, we designed and synthesized multicomponent peptide-based hydrogels composed of fluorenyl-9-methoxycarbonyl diphenylalanine (FmocFF), which contributed to the rigidity and stability of the hydrogel, and Fmoc-arginine (FmocR), which mediated high affinity to hydroxyapatite (HAP) due to the arginine moiety. The new hydrogels composed of nanometric fibril networks were decorated with HAP and demonstrated high mechanical strength with a storage modulus of up to 29 kPa. In addition, the hydrogels supported cell adhesion and in vitro cell viability. These properties suggest using these multicomponent organic-inorganic hydrogels as functional biomaterials for improved bone regeneration.

MeSH terms

  • 3T3 Cells
  • Animals
  • Arginine / chemistry
  • Arginine / pharmacology
  • Biomimetics
  • Bone Regeneration*
  • Cell Adhesion / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Dipeptides / chemistry
  • Dipeptides / pharmacology
  • Durapatite / chemistry*
  • Durapatite / pharmacology
  • Fluorenes / chemistry
  • Fluorenes / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Hydrogels / chemistry*
  • Hydrogels / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Peptides / pharmacology
  • Rheology
  • Tissue Engineering / methods
  • Tissue Scaffolds / chemistry

Substances

  • Dipeptides
  • Fluorenes
  • Hydrogels
  • Peptides
  • fluorenyl-9-methoxycarbonyl diphenylalanine
  • Durapatite
  • Arginine