RESUMO
Defects in the corneal stroma caused by trauma or diseases such as macular corneal dystrophy and keratoconus can be detrimental for vision. Development of therapeutic methods to enhance corneal regeneration is essential for treatment of these defects. This paper describes a bioactive peptide nanofiber scaffold system for corneal tissue regeneration. These nanofibers are formed by self-assembling peptide amphiphile molecules containing laminin and fibronectin inspired sequences. Human corneal keratocyte cells cultured on laminin-mimetic peptide nanofibers retained their characteristic morphology, and their proliferation was enhanced compared with cells cultured on fibronectin-mimetic nanofibers. When these nanofibers were used for damaged rabbit corneas, laminin-mimetic peptide nanofibers increased keratocyte migration and supported stroma regeneration. These results suggest that laminin-mimetic peptide nanofibers provide a promising injectable, synthetic scaffold system for cornea stroma regeneration.
Assuntos
Materiais Biocompatíveis/farmacologia , Substância Própria/fisiologia , Nanofibras/química , Peptídeos/farmacologia , Regeneração/efeitos dos fármacos , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Forma Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Células Cultivadas , Substância Própria/citologia , Substância Própria/efeitos dos fármacos , Fibroblastos/citologia , Fibroblastos/efeitos dos fármacos , Fibroblastos/ultraestrutura , Humanos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Nanofibras/ultraestrutura , Peptídeos/química , Coelhos , Tensoativos/químicaRESUMO
In the present study, we report the systematic investigation of the effect of chemical oxidation on the structure of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes buckypaper. The chemical oxidation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes was performed via using three types of chemical solutions: nitric acid, sulfuric acid/nitric acid (3/1) and ammonium hydroxide/hydrogen peroxide (1/1). The surfaces of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes were modified by forming Carboxyl and other functional groups. Flexible multi-walled carbon nanotubes buckypapers were then produced by vacuum filtration techniques from functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The characteristic properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes specimens were investigated via Raman, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopies. The thermal properties and morphology of multi-walled carbon nanotubes were also studied byThermogravimetric Analysis and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy techniques.