Capture Phosphates via Peptide Self-assembly to Construct Templates Assisting Mineralization

The development of synthetic scaffolds for template-guided mineralization of calcium phosphates (CaP) is an ongoing challenge in biomimetic material design for bone graft substitute. To mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM)-organized biomineralization, polymer-induced liquid precursor (PILP) phase has been widely applied in the construction of biomineralized tissues. We proposed here a peptide self-assembled scaffold as an easier fabricated alternative of charged polymers for PILP template. An arginine enriched pentapeptide was synthesized to serve as the basic building block for the construction of positively charged nanofibrils at physiological condition. By binding with multiple arginine residues via electrostatic interactions, phosphates cross-link nanofibrils forming phosphate enriched scaffold to assist the mineralization of CaP during the calcium ion infiltration. The obtained CaP mineralized scaffold exhibited competent properties to polymer-based biominerals with enhanced mechanical properties and reversible deformations, as well as good biocompatibility, promising great potentials as mimetic bone matrix.