Functionalized α-helical peptide hydrogels for neural tissue engineering

Mehrban, N., Zhu, B., Tamagnini, F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8741-5094, Young, F. I., Wasmuth, A., Hudson, K. L., Thomson, A. R., Birchall, M. A., Randall, A. D., Song, B. and Woolfson, D. N. (2015) Functionalized α-helical peptide hydrogels for neural tissue engineering. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 1 (6). pp. 431-439. ISSN 2373-9878 doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.5b00051

Abstract/Summary

Trauma to the central and peripheral nervous systems often lead to serious morbidity. Current surgical methods for repairing or replacing such damage have limitations. Tissue engineering offers a potential alternative. Here we show that functionalized α-helical-peptide hydrogels can be used to induce attachment, migration, proliferation and differentiation of murine embryonic neural stem cells (NSCs). Specifically, compared with undecorated gels, those functionalized with Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) peptides increase the proliferative activity of NSCs; promote their directional migration; induce differentiation, with increased expression of microtubule-associated protein-2, and a low expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein; and lead to the formation of larger neurospheres. Electrophysiological measurements from NSCs grown in RGDS-decorated gels indicate developmental progress toward mature neuron-like behavior. Our data indicate that these functional peptide hydrogels may go some way toward overcoming the limitations of current approaches to nerve-tissue repair.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/80573
Identification Number/DOI	10.1021/acsbiomaterials.5b00051
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy > School of Pharmacy > Division of Pharmacology
Publisher	American Chemical Society
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