Skip to main content
2024 BMES Annual Meeting Main banner
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.

Biomaterials

Biomaterials - Poster Session B

Poster C2 - Effect of Hyaluronan Binding Peptide Coating on Primary Neonatal Dermal Fibroblast Cells

Thursday, October 24, 2024
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM EST
Location: Exhibit Hall E, F & G

Introduction:  Neonatal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cells play an essential role in skin regeneration and wound healing [1] by secreting and integrating components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) like hyaluronan (HA) and collagen, which are crucial for maintaining skin hydration, elasticity, and show regenerative capabilities [2]. The skin’s natural healing process can be enhanced by altering the microenvironment of NHDFs. Hyaluronan Binding Peptides (HABP) are a class of peptides that adhere to HA, promoting its accumulation and integration into the extracellular matrix. In this study, we created self-assembled monolayers of HABPs onto glass substrates. We hypothesize that HABP-presenting surfaces will retain endogenous HA by NHDFs. The HABP-directed HA deposition could elicit pro-regenerative changes in NHDFs and impact ECM assembly downstream. The results of this study will provide evidence for the utilization of HABP-derived matrices for improved wound healing and skin regeneration.

Materials and

Methods:  Silica glass surfaces will be meticulously cleaned and treated with aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) to promote HABP adherence. Following this treatment, surfaces will be coated with either HABP or scrambled HABP (scrHABP). Biological Characterization Morphology will be assessed via immunostaining for the cell cytoskeleton and imaging with fluorescence microscope. Myofibroblastic differentiation will be evaluated through immunostaining for α-SMA, which has been shown to be elevated in scarring wounds [3]. Imaging the Pericellular Matrix The pericellular matrix of neonatal and adult cells will be imaged using horse red blood cells [4]. Matrix Deposition Analysis The regenerative matrix deposition will be investigated using Alcian Blue staining and immunostaining for collagen types III and I. Collagen fibrils will be analyzed using a MATLAB-based fibril detection algorithm provided as CTFire.

Results, Conclusions, and Discussions: Preliminary results, as shown in Figure 1, indicate a significant increase in HA deposition on HABP-treated and scrHABP-treated surfaces compared to the control, as demonstrated by Alcian Blue staining. NHDFs cultured on these surfaces showed higher proliferation rates, supported by increased F-actin staining in immunostaining experiments, suggesting enhanced cellular activity. While these findings indicate increased cellular activity, further analysis using fibroblast-derived matrices is necessary to more accurately assess ECM assembly and validate these preliminary observations. This analysis will help determine the full impact of HABP on matrix deposition, which could have significant medical applications, including the treatment of burns and post-surgical recovery [5].

Early results demonstrate that coating surfaces with HABP significantly influences fibroblast behavior, promoting a more proliferative and regenerative environment. Continued research will focus on optimizing HABP delivery methods, such as integrating HABP into synthetic nanofibers using electrospinning. These nanofibers, made from biodegradable materials like PLGA, could enhance the delivery and efficacy of HA in wound healing. This research aims to first prove that HA has the potential to improve wound healing and then translate this effect into HABP-integrated PLGA nanofibers for use in regenerative applications.

Acknowledgements (Optional):  This research was supported by the RESPEC Van Sambeek Scholarship. Thank you to RESPEC for their support.