Peptide coatings enhance keratinocyte attachment towards improving the peri-implant mucosal seal

There is a critical need for preventing peri-implantitis as its prevalence has increased and dental implants lack features to prevent it. Research strategies to prevent peri-implantitis have focused on modifying dental implants to incorporate different antimicrobial agents. An alternative strategy consists of barring the expansion of the biofilm subgingivally by forming a long-lasting permucosal seal between the soft tissue and the implant surface. Here, we innovatively biofunctionalized titanium with bioinspired peptide coatings to strengthen biological interactions between epithelial cells and the titanium surface. We selected laminin 332- and ameloblastin-derived peptides (Lam, Ambn). Laminin 332 participates in the formation of hemidesmosomes by keratinocytes and promotes epithelial attachment around teeth; and ameloblastin, an enamel derived protein, is involved in tissue regeneration events following disruption of the periodontium. Lam, Ambn or combinations of both peptides were covalently immobilized on titanium discs. Successful immobilization of the peptides was confirmed by contact angle goniometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and fluorescent labelling of the peptides. Additionally, we confirmed the mechanical and thermochemical stability of the peptides on Ti substrates. Proliferation and hemidesmosome formation of human keratinocytes (TERT-2/OKF-6) were assessed by immunofluorescence labelling. The peptide-coated surfaces increased cell proliferation for up to 48 h in culture compared to control surfaces. Most importantly, formation of hemidesmosomes by keratinocytes was significantly increased on surfaces coated with Ambn + Lam peptides compared to control (p < 0.01) and monopeptide coatings (p < 0.005). Together, these results support the Ambn + Lam multipeptide coating as a promising candidate for inducing a permucosal seal around dental implants.