Self-assembling peptide hydrogels facilitate vascularization in two-component scaffolds

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Vol. 422; p. 130145
• Main Authors: Siddiqui, Zain, Sarkar, Biplab, Kim, Ka Kyung, Kumar, Arjun, Paul, Reshma, Mahajan, Aryan, Grasman, Jonathan M., Yang, Jian, Kumar, Vivek A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Elsevier B.V 15.10.2021
• Subjects: Acellular scaffolds; Angiogenesis; Implant vascularization; Peptide nanofibers; Self-assembly; Tissue regeneration; vWF; POC; DAPI; Peptide nanofibers; VEGF-A; Tissue regeneration; ECM; α-SMA; FGF-2; Angiogenesis; Self-assembly; SEM; Acellular scaffolds; Implant vascularization; implant vascularization; self-assembly; tissue regeneration; hydrogel; angiogenesis; peptide nanofibers; acellular scaffolds; multi-functional scaffolds
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2021.130145

[Display omitted] •Microporous polymeric scaffolds can help heal tissue defects.•Lack of vascularization limits the application of biomaterial scaffolds.•Self-assembling peptide hydrogels can be functionalized to be angiogenic.•Angiogenic hydrogels can be incorporated into microporous scaffolds.•Two-component acellular scaffolds facilitate vascularization in vivo. One of the major constraints against using polymeric scaffolds as tissue-regenerative matrices is a lack of adequate implant vascularization. Self-assembling peptide hydrogels can sequester small molecules and biological macromolecules, and they can support infiltrating cells in vivo. Here we demonstrate the ability of self-assembling peptide hydrogels to facilitate angiogenic sprouting into polymeric scaffolds after subcutaneous implantation. We constructed two-component scaffolds that incorporated microporous polymeric scaffolds and viscoelastic nanoporous peptide hydrogels. Nanofibrous hydrogels modified the biocompatibility and vascular integration of polymeric scaffolds with microscopic pores (pore diameters: 100–250 µm). In spite of similar amphiphilic sequences, charges, secondary structures, and supramolecular nanostructures, two soft hydrogels studied herein had different abilities to aid implant vascularization, but had similar levels of cellular infiltration. The functional difference of the peptide hydrogels was predicted by the difference in the bioactive moieties inserted into the primary sequences of the peptide monomers. Our study highlights the utility of soft supramolecular hydrogels to facilitate host-implant integration and control implant vascularization in biodegradable polyester scaffolds in vivo. Our study provides useful tools in designing multi-component regenerative scaffolds that recapitulate vascularized architectures of native tissues.