title: Self-assembled octapeptide scaffolds for in vitro chondrocyte culture.
abstract: Nature has evolved a variety of creative approaches to many aspects of materials synthesis and microstructural control. Molecular self-assembly is a simple and efficient way to fabricate complex nanostructures such as hydrogels. We have recently investigated the gelation properties of a series of ionic-complementary peptides based on the alternation of non-polar hydrophobic and polar hydrophilic residues. In this work we focus on one specific octapeptide, FEFEFKFK (F, phenylalanine; E, glutamic acid; K, lysine). This peptide was shown to self-assemble in solution and form β-sheet-rich nanofibres which, above a critical gelation concentration, entangle to form a self-supporting hydrogel. The fibre morphology of the hydrogel was analysed using transmission electron microscopy and cryo-scanning electron microscopy illustrating a dense fibrillar network of nanometer size fibres. Oscillatory rheology results show that the hydrogel possesses visco-elastic properties. Bovine chondrocytes were used to assess the biocompatibility of the scaffolds over 21 days under two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) cell culture conditions, particularly looking at cell morphology, proliferation and matrix deposition. 2-D culture resulted in cell viability and collagen type I deposition. In 3-D culture the mechanically stable gel was shown to support the viability of cells, the retention of cell morphology and collagen type II deposition. Subsequently the scaffold may serve as a template for cartilage tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. mujeebayeesha@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ayeesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mujeeb
authors.forename: Aline F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saiani
authors.forename: Julie E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gough
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002417:Cattle; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D005109:Extracellular Matrix; D020100:Hydrogels; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D057139:Nanofibers; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020100:Hydrogels; D009842:Oligopeptides; D003094:Collagen; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase