Evaluation of Peptide amphiphiles interaction with human blood
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of Peptide amphiphiles interaction with human blood and derived products (Serum, Plasma, PRP) to determine their potential as tissue adhesives and bio-inks for 3D-printing applications in tissue engineering.
IRAS ID
263643
Contact name
Soraya Padilla Lopategui
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Mary University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
Research Summary:
The aim of this project is to produce a new generation of biomaterials that use biomolecules present in human blood and derived products (platelet rich plasma, plasma, serum) and self-assembling materials (peptide amphiphiles) as building blocks to co-assemble into biomimetic hydrogels. The study of peptide amphiphiles interaction with biomolecules (i.e. proteins) and the detailed characterisation of the dynamics of these systems will allow the creation of highly interactive personalised scaffolds for regenerative medicine applications. Peptide hydrogels have proven to have several advantages including versatility of design and bio-functionalisation which make them suitable for a myriad applications. The developing of blood interactive materials opens the possibility to have an unlimited resource available to construct materials tailored to the patient’s needs. Furthermore, by using patient’s own blood we believe these materials will be more compatible and have a lower risk of rejection as well as enhance tissue regeneration.Lay summary of study results: This study used anonymised donor blood samples to explore how specially designed peptide-based materials could work together with natural blood components to form soft, gel-like structures. These materials were being investigated as potential tools for tissue repair and regeneration.
We found that the design of these peptides can influence how they interact with blood, allowing us to control how the resulting gels form and how strong or flexible they become. These gels were able to hold onto natural repair signalling biomolecules present in blood and could support the growth of different types of human cells in the laboratory.
The work also showed that these blood-based gels could be used in established biofabrication methods. The findings suggest that this approach could eventually support personalised regenerative treatments, as the materials form reliably even when made from different donor samples.
Overall, this research helped improve our understanding of how blood-derived materials can be engineered in a controlled and reproducible way to support tissue repair.
Research article: https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202407156
REC name
London - West London & GTAC Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/0814
Date of REC Opinion
13 May 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion