Hierarchical regulation and mechanism of "open-hollow-fibrous network" structures: Osteogenic-angiogenic coupling responses of poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) microspheres.
The study suggests that GHK-Cu functionalized microspheres could enhance bone tissue engineering efforts, but further research is needed to confirm these findings in vivo.
Where it sits
this study against the rest of the ghk-cu corpusSummary and findings
This study investigated the fabrication and biofunctionality of polypeptide microspheres (PBLG-GCu HNMs) for bone tissue engineering. The microspheres were designed to enhance osteogenic and angiogenic responses in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Key findings included significant increases in osteogenic gene expression compared to non-functionalized microspheres.
Abstract
Biomimetic fibrous microspheres with a high specific surface area hold substantial promise for bone tissue engineering. In this study, asymmetric open-hollow nanofibrous microspheres (HNMs) were fabricated from polypeptide poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) (PBLG) via a combination of emulsion and thermally induced phase separation, yielding PBLG HNMs. To further impart biofunctionality, the copper peptide (GHK-Cu) was covalently grafted onto the microspheres to obtain osteoinductive and pro-angiogenic PBLG-GCu HNMs. The optimized microspheres exhibited an average diameter of 372 ± 102 μm, which is suitable for injectability, and an opening size of 219 ± 53 μm, enabling efficient cellular infiltration. The internal surface featured an interconnected nanofibrous network with a fiber diameter of 417 ± 78 nm, mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) microenvironment and providing abundant cell-interactive sites. Live/Dead staining and CCK-8 assays confirmed the cytocompatibility of the PBLG-GCu HNMs. Compared with non-functionalized PBLG HNMs, PBLG-GCu HNMs enhanced bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) mineralization and upregulated osteogenic gene expression, with Runx2, OPN, and OCN expression increased by 1.61-, 3.53-, and 2.29-fold, respectively. In addition, the tube formation assay verified robust angiogenic stimulation. Overall, the PBLG-GCu HNMs integrated hierarchical structural biomimicry with dual osteogenic-angiogenic bioactivity, exhibiting great potential as injectable scaffolds for repairing irregular bone defects.
Background
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Methods
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Results
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Interpretation
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Key findings
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Limitations
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