Functionalized α‑Helical Peptide Hydrogels for Neural Tissue Engineering

Trauma to the central and peripheral
nervous systems often lead
to serious morbidity. Current surgical methods for repairing or replacing
such damage have limitations. Tissue engineering offers a potential
alternative. Here we show that functionalized α-helical-peptide
hydrogels can be used to induce attachment, migration, proliferation
and differentiation of murine embryonic neural stem cells (NSCs).
Specifically, compared with undecorated gels, those functionalized
with Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) peptides increase the proliferative activity
of NSCs; promote their directional migration; induce differentiation,
with increased expression of microtubule-associated protein-2, and
a low expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein; and lead to the
formation of larger neurospheres. Electrophysiological measurements
from NSCs grown in RGDS-decorated gels indicate developmental progress
toward mature neuron-like behavior. Our data indicate that these functional
peptide hydrogels may go some way toward overcoming the limitations
of current approaches to nerve-tissue repair.