Controlled release of basic fibroblast growth factor from a peptide biomaterial for bone regeneration

Self-assembled peptide scaffolds based on D-RADA16 (D16) are an important matrix for controlled drug release and 3D cell culture. In this work, D16 peptide hydrogels were coated on artificial bone composed of nano-hydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 (NHA/PA66) to obtain a porous drug-releasing structure for treating bone defects. The developed materials were characterized via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The proliferation and adhesion of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were examined by Confocal laser microscopy (CLS) and CCK-8 experiments. The osteogenic ability of the porous materials towards bone BMSCs was examined in vitro by staining with Alizarin Red S and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bioactivity were evaluated in vivo. The results revealed that NHA/PA66/D-RADA16/bFGF reduce the degradation rate of D16 hydrogels and prolong sustained release of bFGF, which would promote BMSCs proliferation, adhesion and osteogenesis in vitro and bone rep...