Peptide-based scaffolds for the culture and maintenance of primary human hepatocytes.

ABSTRACT: We report here the use of a nanofibrous hydrogel as a 3D scaffold for the culture and maintenance of functional primary human hepatocytes. The system is based on the cooperative assembly of a fiber-forming peptide component, fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl-diphenylalanine (Fmoc-FF), and the integrin-binding functional peptide ligand, Fmoc-arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (Fmoc-RGD) into a nanofibrous gel at physiological pH. This Fmoc-FF/RGD hydrogel was formulated to provide a biomimetic microenvironment with some critical features such as mechanical properties and nanofiber morphology, which were optimized to support hepatocyte culture. The material was shown to support maintenance and function of encapsulated primary human hepatocytes as indicated by actin staining, qRT-PCR, and functional cyt

SUBMITTER: MacPherson D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7990934 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature