Biomatter, 2011 · DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/biom.1.2.18791 · Published: October 1, 2011
This study explores the use of chondroitin sulfate (CS) and a novel CS-binding peptide to control the release of nerve growth factor (NGF) from biomaterials. The research focuses on promoting neurite extension through CS-rich matrices and synthetic scaffolds, which are essential for nerve regeneration. The novel CS-binding peptide enhances the controlled release properties of the CS gels. The introduction of CS into a scaffold inhibits primary cortical outgrowth, but the combination of CS, CS-binding peptide, and NGF promotes primary cortical neurite outgrowth in CS gels. This affinity-based system that incorporates C6S and NGF is an ideal biomaterial for studying neural development and for neural tissue engineering.
The combination of chondroitin sulfate and a binding peptide can be used to control the release of nerve growth factor from biomaterials.
The inhibitory effects of chondroitin sulfate on neurite outgrowth can be overcome by incorporating nerve growth factor into the gel.
This affinity-based system is an ideal biomaterial for studying neural development and for neural tissue engineering, paving the way for new therapies.