Bioactive PEEK: Surface Enrichment of Vitronectin-Derived Adhesive Peptides
Leonardo Cassari,
Annj Zamuner,
Grazia M. L. Messina,
Martina Marsotto,
Hongyi Chen,
Giovanni Gonnella,
Trevor Coward,
Chiara Battocchio,
Jie Huang,
Giovanna Iucci,
Giovanni Marletta,
Lucy Di Silvio,
Monica Dettin
Affiliations
Leonardo Cassari
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy
Annj Zamuner
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy
Grazia M. L. Messina
Laboratory for Molecular Surface and Nanotechnology (LAMSUN), Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania and CSGI, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
Martina Marsotto
Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Via della Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Roma, Italy
Hongyi Chen
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
Giovanni Gonnella
Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
Trevor Coward
Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
Chiara Battocchio
Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Via della Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Roma, Italy
Jie Huang
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
Giovanna Iucci
Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Via della Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Roma, Italy
Giovanni Marletta
Laboratory for Molecular Surface and Nanotechnology (LAMSUN), Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania and CSGI, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
Lucy Di Silvio
Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
Monica Dettin
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy
Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a thermoplastic polymer that has been recently employed for bone tissue engineering as a result of its biocompatibility and mechanical properties being comparable to human bone. PEEK, however, is a bio-inert material and, when implanted, does not interact with the host tissues, resulting in poor integration. In this work, the surfaces of 3D-printed PEEK disks were functionalized with: (i) an adhesive peptide reproducing [351–359] h-Vitronectin sequence (HVP) and (ii) HVP retro-inverted dimer (D2HVP), that combines the bioactivity of the native sequence (HVP) with the stability toward proteolytic degradation. Both sequences were designed to be anchored to the polymer surface through specific covalent bonds via oxime chemistry. All functionalized PEEK samples were characterized by Water Contact Angle (WCA) measurements, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to confirm the peptide enrichment. The biological results showed that both peptides were able to increase cell proliferation at 3 and 21 days. D2HVP functionalized PEEK resulted in an enhanced proliferation across all time points investigated with higher calcium deposition and more elongated cell morphology.
