Multicomponent Peptide Hydrogels as an Innovative Platform for Cell-Based Tissue Engineering in the Dental Pulp

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Antimicrobial Research

Background:

• Rising antibiotic resistance necessitates novel antimicrobial strategies.
• Self-assembling peptide hydrogels are emerging biomaterials with potential therapeutic applications.
• Limited research exists on peptide hydrogels for managing infections at tissue engineering sites like dental canals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the biocompatibility of multicomponent peptide hydrogels with dental pulp stem/stromal cells (DPSCs).
• To investigate the impact of hydrogel culture on DPSC secretome and growth factor/cytokine expression.
• To determine the antimicrobial activity of these hydrogels against key oral pathogens.

Main Methods:

• Assessed DPSC biocompatibility with commercially available peptide hydrogels, including those functionalized with Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD).
• Analyzed growth factor and cytokine expression in DPSCs cultured within 2D and 3D hydrogel environments.
• Tested the antimicrobial efficacy of soluble peptides and assembled hydrogels against *Staphylococcus aureus*, *Enterococcus faecalis*, and *Fusobacterium nucleatum*.

Main Results:

• Peptide hydrogels, with and without RGD modification, demonstrated biocompatibility with DPSCs.
• DPSC culture within 3D hydrogels resulted in a distinct secretome profile compared to 2D cultures.
• Both soluble peptides and assembled hydrogels exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against the tested oral pathogens.

Conclusions:

• Multicomponent peptide hydrogels are biocompatible with DPSCs and modulate their secretome.
• These hydrogels possess direct antimicrobial effects against relevant oral pathogens.
• The findings suggest peptide hydrogels are promising candidates for translational applications in managing bacterial infections in tissue engineering.