Fabrication of a Smart Fibrous Biomaterial That Harbors an Active TGF-β1 Peptide: A Promising Approach for Cartilage Regeneration
Aglaia Mantsou,
Eleni Papachristou,
Panagiotis Keramidas,
Paraskevas Lamprou,
Maria Pitou,
Rigini M. Papi,
Katerina Dimitriou,
Amalia Aggeli,
Theodora Choli-Papadopoulou
Affiliations
Aglaia Mantsou
Laboratory of Biochemistry, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Eleni Papachristou
Laboratory of Biochemistry, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Panagiotis Keramidas
Laboratory of Biochemistry, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Paraskevas Lamprou
Laboratory of Biochemistry, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Maria Pitou
Laboratory of Biochemistry, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Rigini M. Papi
Laboratory of Biochemistry, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Katerina Dimitriou
Laboratory of Chemical Engineering A’, School of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Amalia Aggeli
Laboratory of Chemical Engineering A’, School of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Theodora Choli-Papadopoulou
Laboratory of Biochemistry, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
The regeneration of articular cartilage remains a serious problem in various pathological conditions such as osteoarthritis, due to the tissue’s low self-healing capacity. The latest therapeutic approaches focus on the construction of biomaterials that induce cartilage repair. This research describes the design, synthesis, and investigation of a safe, “smart”, fibrous scaffold containing a genetically incorporated active peptide for chondrogenic induction. While possessing specific sequences and the respective mechanical properties from natural fibrous proteins, the fibers also incorporate a Transforming Growth Factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-derived peptide (YYVGRKPK) that can promote chondrogenesis. The scaffold formed stable porous networks with shear-thinning properties at 37 °C, as shown by SEM imaging and rheological characterization, and were proven to be non-toxic to human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). Its chondrogenic capacity was evidenced by a strong increase in the expression of specific chondrogenesis gene markers SOX9, COL2, ACAN, TGFBR1A, and TGFBR2 in cells cultured on “scaffold-TGFβ1” for 21 days and by increased phosphorylation of intracellular signaling proteins Smad-2 and Erk-1/2. Additionally, intense staining of glycosaminoglycans was observed in these cells. According to our results, “scaffold-TGFβ1” is proposed for clinical studies as a safe, injectable treatment for cartilage degeneration.
