Boactive PEEK: Surface enrichment of Vitronectin-Derived Adhesive Peptides

Leonardo Cassari, Annj Zamuner, Grazia Messina, Martina Marsotto, Hongyi Chen, Giovanni Gonnella, Trevor Coward, Chiara Battocchio, Jie Huang, Giovanna Lucci, Giovanni Marletta, Lucy Di-Silvio, Monica Dettin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Abstract: Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a thermoplastic polymer that has been recently em-ployed 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 bio-activity of the native sequence (HVP) with the stability toward proteolytic degradation. Both se-quences 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.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-16
Number of pages16
JournalBiomolecules
Volume13
Issue number2
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 28 Jan 2023

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Boactive PEEK: Surface enrichment of Vitronectin-Derived Adhesive Peptides'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this