Self-assembling peptide hydrogels promote microglial cells proliferation and NGF production

Peptidic hydrogels are an interesting class of materials, with potential applications in tissue engineering and controlled drug delivery. Fmoc-Phe(3) self-assembling peptide was synthesized in an aqueous phase by using a lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens. The bioconversion afforded a self-supporting hydrogel in only 10 minutes, a feature that seems very promising for biotechnological applications. The rheological properties of such material were studied. The peptide hydrogel, used as a scaffold for culturing rat microglial cells, induced a significant cell proliferation and an increased production of the neurotrophic factor NGF. Moreover, microscopy studies demonstrated that the hydrogel was able to promote microglial cell adhesion.