Effects of a novel self-assembling peptide scaffold on bone regeneration and controlled release of two growth factors

RADA16 is a self-assembling peptide material with good bioactivity. To improve the bioactivity of a material, some specific functional motifs can be added to its peptide sequence. Here, we report a self-assembling peptide nanogel, RADA16-RGD, that has better bioactivity than RADA16 and can simultaneously carry and control the release of two growth factors, VEGF and BMP-2, which have synergistic effects on bone formation. The peptide materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties of the peptides were evaluated by the rheology test. The biocompatibility of the materials was evaluated via the use of the CCK-8 test, live/dead staining and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Osteogenesis capability in vitro was evaluated by means of ALP staining, extracellular matrix mineralization and detection of osteogenic markers. The controlled release of growth factors was examined by ELISA. The results showed that RADA16-RGD exhibited a better ability than RADA16 to promote cell proliferation, adhesion and bone formation. In addition, RADA16-RGD had good biocompatibility and exhibited effective controlled release of VEGF and BMP-2. More importantly, compared with RADA16-RGD loaded with single growth factor or without growth factors, RADA16-RGD loaded with two growth factors exhibited a stronger ability to promote cell proliferation and osteogenesis. This study provides a promising strategy for the application of self-assembling peptides to promote osteogenesis and controlled release of proteins.