The use of immobilized osteogenic growth peptide on gradient substrates synthesized via click chemistry to enhance MC3T3-E1 osteoblast proliferation

In this study, we report the use of surface immobilized peptide concentration gradient technology to characterize MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cell response to osteogenic growth peptide (OGP), a small peptide found naturally in human serum at mumol/L concentrations. OGP was coupled to oxidized self assembled monolayer (SAM) gradients by a polyethylene oxide (PEO) linker using Click Chemistry. After 4h incubation with MC3T3-E1 cells, OGP functionalized surfaces had higher cell attachment at low peptide concentrations compared to control gradients. By day 3, OGP gradient substrates had higher cell densities compared to control gradients at all concentrations. MC3T3-E1 cell doubling time was 35% faster on OGP substrates relative to SAM gradients alone, signifying an appreciable increase in cell proliferation. This increase in cell proliferation, or decrease in doubling time, due to OGP peptide was reduced by day 7. Hence, immobilized OGP increased cell proliferation from 0 days to 3 days at all densities indicating it may be useful as a proliferative peptide that can be used in tissue engineering substrates.