title: Attachment and spreading of fibroblasts on an RGD peptide-modified injectable hyaluronan hydrogel.
abstract: Hyaluronan (HA) hydrogels resist attachment and spreading of fibroblasts and most other mammalian cell types. A thiol-modified HA (3,3'-dithiobis(propanoic dihydrazide) [HA-DTPH]) was modified with peptides containing the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence and then crosslinked with polyethylene glycol (PEG) diacrylate (PEGDA) to create a biomaterial that supported cell attachment, spreading, and proliferation. The hydrogels were evaluated in vitro and in vivo in three assay systems. First, the behavior of human and murine fibroblasts on the surface of the hydrogels was evaluated. The concentration and structure of the RGD peptides and the length of the PEG spacer influenced cell attachment and spreading. Second, murine fibroblasts were seeded into HA-DTPH solutions and encapsulated via in situ crosslinking with or without bound RGD peptides. Cells remained viable and proliferated within the hydrogel for 15 days in vitro. Although the RGD peptides significantly enhanced cell proliferation on the hydrogel surface, the cell proliferation inside the hydrogel in vitro was increased only modestly. Third, HA-DTPH/PEGDA/peptide hydrogels were evaluated as injectable tissue engineering materials in vivo. A suspension of murine fibroblasts in HA-DTPH was crosslinked using PEGDA plus PEGDA peptide, and the viscous, gelling mixture was injected subcutaneously into the flanks of nude mice; gels formed in vivo following injection. After 4 weeks, growth of new fibrous tissue had been accelerated by the sense RGD peptides. Thus, attachment, spreading, and proliferation of cells is dramatically enhanced on RGD-modified surfaces but only modestly accelerated in vivo tissue formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Utah, 419 Wakara Way, Suite 205, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108-1257, USA.
authors.forename: Xiao Zheng
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Kaustabh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Yanchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fabio S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Glenn D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Prestwich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D020100:Hydrogels; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020100:Hydrogels; D009842:Oligopeptides; C047981:arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid