Functionalized self-assembling peptide nanofiber hydrogel as a scaffold for rabbit nucleus pulposus cells.
In this study, a new functionalized peptide RLN was designed containing the bioactive motif link N, the amino terminal peptide of link protein. A link N nanofiber scaffold (LN-NS) was self-assembled by mixing peptide solution of RLN and RADA16. The characterization of LN-NS was tested using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The biocompatibility and bioactivity of this nanofiber scaffold for rabbit nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) were also evaluated. This designer functionalized nanofiber scaffold exhibited little cytotoxicity and promoted NPCs adhesion obviously. In three-dimensional cell culture experiments, confocal reconstructed images testified that the functionalized LN-NS-guided NPCs migration from the surface into the hydrogel considerably, in which the RADA16 scaffold did not. Moreover, the functionalized LN-NS significantly stimulated the biosynthesis of extracelluar matrices (ECM) by NPCs. Our findings demonstrate that the functionalized nanofiber scaffold containing link N had excellent biocompatibility and bioactivity with rabbit NPCs and could be useful in the nucleus pulposus regeneration.
Department of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, People's Republic of China.
Baichuan
B
Wang
Yongchao
Y
Wu
Zengwu
Z
Shao
Shuhua
S
Yang
Biao
B
Che
Caixia
C
Sun
Zhilin
Z
Ma
Yannan
Y
Zhang
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011817:Rabbits; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020100:Hydrogels; D010455:Peptides; C546681:RADA16-I