Evolution of M13 Bacteriophage and RGD Peptide Effects on Induction of Angiogenesis and Regenerative Potential of Mouse Primary Lymph Node Fibroblasts

One of the most important regenerative medical purposes is the production of alternative tissues with proper function. Fibroblast cells are one of the most important types of cells in the repair process that also play a role in the formation of blood vessels. Stimulation of fibroblastic cells requires the appearance of external signals to begin the proliferation and recall of other cells, as well as angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of M13 in combination with RGD peptide on fibroblastic cells.

For this study, M13 bacteriophage was first amplified and isolated. Then RGD peptide was synthesized and purified. Then, isolated mouse fibroblastic cells were culture on surfaces coated with M13 bacteriophage, bacteriophage M13 and RGD, gelatin, and surfaces without coated as a control for 48 hours. MTT assay was used to measure the proliferation and survival of cells, and then the expression of FGF-2, TGF-β1 and VEGF-A genes was measured by real-time PCR.

The results of this study showed that the M13 and RGD bacteriophage increased cell proliferation and the fibroblast cell survival rate. In addition, expression of FGF-2, TGF-β1 and VEGF-A genes in cultured fibroblasts on the M13 and RGD bacteriophages surface increased significantly.

Our research showed that scaffolds of M13 bacteriophage and RGD peptide are nontoxic and bio-compatible so they can be a suitable candidate for induction of repair and angiogenesis in tissue engineering.