Abstract
In light of the increasing levels of antibiotic resistance, nanomaterials and novel biologics are urgently required to manage bacterial infections. To date, commercially available self-assembling peptide hydrogels have not been studied extensively for their ability to inhibit micro-organisms relevant to tissue engineering sites such as dental root canals. In this work, we assess the biocompatibility of dental pulp stem/stromal cells with commercially available multicomponent peptide hydrogels. We also determine the effects of dental pulp stem/stromal cell (DPSC) culture in hydrogels on growth factor/cytokine expression. Furthermore, to investigate novel aspects of self-assembling peptide hydrogels, we determine their antimicrobial activity against the oral pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Fusobacterium nucleatum. We show that self-assembling peptide hydrogels and hydrogels functionalized with the adhesion motif Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) are biocompatible with DPSCs, and that cells grown in 3D hydrogel cultures produce a discrete secretome compared with 2D-cultured cells. Furthermore, we show that soluble peptides and assembled hydrogels have antimicrobial effects against oral pathogens. Given their antibacterial activity against oral pathogens, biocompatibility with dental pulp stem/stromal cells and enhancement of an angiogenic secretome, multicomponent peptide hydrogels hold promise for translational use.
Highlights
The oral cavity harbours over 700 distinct microbial species that occupy several niches in the oral cavity, including the hard surfaces of the teeth, and the mucosal surfaces of the gums, cheeks and tongue [1]
The biocompatibility of the hydrogel peptides in solution form were initially screened against a sub-population of stromal precursor antigen 1 (Stro-1)-positive dental pulp stem/stromal cell (DPSC) using standard 2D MTT assays
When higher concentrations (0.1% w/v) of the peptides were tested in solution form, all peptide hydrogels showed significantly enhanced metabolic activity over controls at 24 h
Summary
The oral cavity harbours over 700 distinct microbial species that occupy several niches in the oral cavity, including the hard surfaces of the teeth, and the mucosal surfaces of the gums, cheeks and tongue [1]. The non-shedding surfaces of the teeth facilitate the accumulation of microorganisms in the form of dental plaque, which in the absence of good dietary and oral hygiene habits can lead to the development of dental caries. Dental caries will extend through the enamel and dentin layers to reach the dental pulp, causing pain and inflammation. Teeth in which the dental pulp has become infected following ingress of caries would conventionally have been treated by root canal treatment, in which the entire dental pulp is removed. For tissue engineering approaches to be successful, there should be effective eradication of infection from the root canals of the teeth; otherwise, there is a high risk of treatment failure [2].
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