Three-Dimensional Printing of Click Functionalized, Peptide Patterned Scaffolds for Osteochondral Tissue Engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Osteochondral defects present a significant clinical challenge due to the complex nature of bone and cartilage tissues.
• Current repair strategies struggle to replicate the native tissue gradient and biochemical environment.
• Mimicking the spatial arrangement of tissue-specific cues is crucial for effective osteochondral regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile system for conjugating and spatially patterning tissue-specific peptides onto poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL).
• To create biomimetic scaffolds using 3D printing for guided osteochondral repair.
• To evaluate the bioactivity and tissue-specific matrix deposition of peptide-functionalized scaffolds.

Main Methods:

• Conjugation of alkyne-terminated PCL with tissue-specific peptides using a Ru(II)-catalyzed click reaction.
• 3D printing of PCL-peptide composites via multimaterial segmented printing for user-defined peptide patterning.
• Seeding of mesenchymal stem cells onto scaffolds and assessment of osteogenic and chondrogenic extracellular matrix deposition in vitro.

Main Results:

• Successful conjugation and patterning of tissue-specific peptides onto PCL scaffolds.
• 3D printed PCL-peptide composites demonstrated bioactivity and promoted mesenchymal stem cell differentiation.
• Significant deposition of osteogenic and chondrogenic extracellular matrix was observed, dependent on the conjugated peptide identity.

Conclusions:

• The developed method enables facile conjugation and spatial patterning of peptides for biomimetic scaffold fabrication.
• Peptide-functionalized PCL scaffolds show promise for guiding osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation in osteochondral repair.
• This approach offers a versatile platform for engineering complex tissue interfaces.