Immobilization of growth factors on collagen scaffolds mediated by polyanionic collagen mimetic peptides and its effect on endothelial cell morphogenesis

Angiogenesis, a morphogenic event endothelial cells (ECs) undergo in response to 3-D environmental triggers, is critical to the survival and ultimate functional capacity of engineered tissue constructs. Here we present a new collagen mimetic peptide (CMP) architecture consisting of multiple anionic charges at the peptide's N-terminus designed to attract growth factors by charge-charge interactions and bind to collagen by CMP-collagen interaction. The anionic CMPs exhibited specific binding affinity to type I collagen substrates while attracting vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs), which led to enhanced morphological features of ECs, indicative of tubulogenesis. The results show that these new CMPs could be used to direct proliferation and differentiation of cells in collagen scaffolds by localization and sustained delivery of growth factors and other morphogens.