title: Magnetic resonance imaging of self-assembled biomaterial scaffolds.
abstract: Current interest in biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications have spurred research into self-assembling peptide amphiphiles (PAs). Nanofiber networks formed from self-assembling PAs can be used as biomaterial scaffolds with the advantage of specificity by the incorporation of peptide-epitopes. Imaging the materials noninvasively will give information as to their fate in vivo. We report here the synthesis and in vitro MR images of self-assembling peptide amphiphile contrast agents (PACAs) that form nanofibers. At 400 MHz using a 0.1 mM Gd(III) conjugate of the PA we observed a T(1) three times that of a control gel. The PA derivative was doped into various epitope bearing PA solutions and upon gelling resulted in a homogeneous biomaterial as imaged by MRI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Steve R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Bull
authors.forename: Mustafa O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Guler
authors.forename: Rafael E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Bras
authors.forename: Palamadai N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Venkatasubramanian
authors.forename: Samuel I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Stupp
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Meade
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D003287:Contrast Media; D000939:Epitopes; D005782:Gels; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D013501:Surface-Active Agents
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003287:Contrast Media; D000939:Epitopes; D005782:Gels; D010455:Peptides; D013501:Surface-Active Agents