Ultrashort Peptide Hydrogels Display Antimicrobial Activity and Enhance Angiogenic Growth Factor Release by Dental Pulp Stem/Stromal Cells
- Resource Type
- article
- Authors
- Marina E. Afami; Ikhlas El Karim; Imad About; Sophie M. Coulter; Garry Laverty; Fionnuala T. Lundy
- Source
- Materials, Vol 14, Iss 9, p 2237 (2021)
- Subject
- antibacterial
biocompatibility
dental pulp
oral pathogen
secretome
Technology
Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering
TK1-9971
Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
TA1-2040
Microscopy
QH201-278.5
Descriptive and experimental mechanics
QC120-168.85
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1996-1944
40219232
Recent studies on peptide hydrogels have shown that ultrashort peptides (εKεK-OH), where the epsilon (ε) amino group forms part of the peptide bond rather than the standard amino grouping. We tested the antimicrobial properties of NapFFεKεK-OH in both solution and hydrogel form against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum and investigated the DPSC secretome in hydrogel culture. Our results showed NapFFεKεK-OH hydrogels were biocompatible with DPSCs. Peptides in solution form were efficacious against biofilms of S. aureus and E. faecalis, whereas hydrogels demonstrated antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis and F. nucleatum. Using an angiogenic array we showed that DPSCs encapsulated within NapFFεKεK-OH hydrogels produced an angiogenic secretome. These results suggest that NapFFεKεK-OH hydrogels have potential to serve as novel hydrogels in tissue engineering for cell-based pulp regeneration.