Osteogenesis of MC3T3 Preosteoblasts on 3D Bioactive Peptide Modified Nano-Macroporous Bioactive Glass Scaffolds

Biointerface design that targets osteogenesis is a growing area of research with significant implications in biomedicine. Materials known to either support or stimulate osteogenesis are composed of a biomimetic ceramic material, such as bioactive glass. Bioactive glass is osteoproductive, and the potential for osteoproductivity can be enhanced by the addition of proteins or other additives designed to alter functionality. In addition, soluble growth factors are often added to osteogenic culture on bioactive glasses, further intensifying the effects of the material. In this paper, synthetic peptide combinations, covalently bound to a three-dimensional bioactive glass network, are used to mimic the effects of the whole fibronectin and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) 2 and 9. Peptide-silanes possessing critical binding sequences from each of these proteins are synthesized and used to decorate the surface of three-dimensional (3D) nano-macroporous bioactive glass. MC3T3 preosteoblast cells are then assessed for differentiation on the materials in the absence of soluble differentiation cues. MC3T3 preosteoblasts undergo enhanced differentiation on the peptide-silane samples over the standard nano-macroporous bioactive glass, and the differentiation capacity of the cells exposes only to peptide-silane surfaces approaches that of cells grown in chemical differentiation induction media.