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Updated: Oct 2, 2025
Author Spotlight: Improving the Production of Self-Assembling Fibers and Peptide Hydrogels for Superior Biocompatibility
Published on: September 6, 2024
Acidic and basic self-assembling peptide and peptide-graphene oxide hydrogels: characterisation and effect on
Cosimo Ligorio1, Aravind Vijayaraghavan2, Judith A Hoyland3
1Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, UK; Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), The University of Manchester, UK; Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, UK.
Acidic conditions in peptide hydrogels promote a catabolic phenotype in nucleus pulposus cells, while graphene oxide incorporation reduces inflammation and enhances matrix production, offering insights into intervertebral disc degeneration.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Extracellular pH significantly influences cell metabolism and gene expression.
- Acidic conditions accelerate degradative enzyme production in nucleus pulposus (NP) cells, contributing to intervertebral disc degeneration.
- Self-assembling peptide hydrogels offer a pH-tunable platform for studying cell behavior under varying pH conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of non-physiological pH on encapsulated NP cells using self-assembling peptide hydrogels.
- To formulate acidic and basic hydrogels from an octapeptide (F8) and assess their impact on NP cell phenotype.
- To evaluate the role of graphene oxide (GO) in modifying hydrogel properties and cellular response.
Main Methods:
- Formulation of acidic (pH 4) and basic (pH 9) octapeptide (F8) hydrogels.
- Development of graphene oxide-containing F8 hydrogels (GO-F8) as stiffer analogues.
- Encapsulation of NP cells and assessment of gene expression, protein production, and cell phenotype under different pH conditions.
- Rheological property and pH buffering capacity analysis of the hydrogels.
Main Results:
- Acidic F8 hydrogels induced a more catabolic NP cell phenotype, with increased expression of degradative enzymes and inflammatory markers compared to basic hydrogels.
- GO-F8 hydrogels showed a milder catabolic response and higher expression of NP matrix components (aggrecan, collagen II).
- Cellular responses peaked within 3 days and decreased by 7 days, indicating a transitory effect of hydrogel pH.
Conclusions:
- Initial scaffold pH has a limited impact on NP cell response, but graphene oxide incorporation mitigates inflammatory responses and enhances matrix protein production.
- Peptide hydrogels provide a versatile platform for studying pH effects on encapsulated cells.
- This research offers insights into pH-dependent cell behavior and novel hydrogel designs for 3D cell culture and tissue engineering applications.
