Rigid fixation of autogenous tooth could serve as a novel approach for the repair of bone defect.

Our study provides a promising alternative of biomimetic coating which functionalizes the dental implant with adhesion peptides and may be useful for enhancing the bone remodeling around Ti implants. A chimeric peptide consisting of an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence (mediating cell adhesion) and a RKLPDA (minTBP-1) sequence (specifically recognizing and binding to Ti substrate) was designed and synthesized. The chimeric peptide affinity to Ti disks, as well as its role in mediating MC3T3-E1 cell attachment and afterwards spreading on pre-coated Ti disks, was investigated. The chimeric peptide not only showed favorable affinity to Ti surfaces but also facilitated the adhesion of MC3T3-E1 cells.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the modification of the titanium (Ti) surface of an implant with RGD (Arg‑Gly‑Asp) promotes the activity of osteoblasts. A novel Ti‑binding peptide, minTBP‑1, and a chimeric peptide, minTBP‑1‑PRGDN, have been synthesized to assist the fixing of RGD to Ti. In our previous study, minTBP‑1‑PRGDN demonstrated favorable affinity for Ti surfaces and facilitated the adhesion of MC3T3‑E1 cells. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of this chimeric peptide on the proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3‑E1 cells. For this purpose, MC3T3‑E1 cells were cultured and differentiation was induced on Ti discs precoated with minTBP‑1‑PRGDN, minTBP‑1 or PRGDN. The MC3T3‑E1 cells on the minTBP‑1‑PRGDN‑precoated Ti disc were observed to exhibit the highest cell number after 24 h and alkaline phosphatase levels in all groups increased in a time‑dependent manner. In addition, marked expression of osteogenic marker genes [osteopontin (OPN) and osteocalcin (OC)] was detected on minTBP‑1‑PRGDN/Ti at day 14. Mineralized deposits on minTBP‑1‑PRGDN/Ti presented the maximal average area and the highest number of deposits was observed on PRGDN/Ti. The present study indicates that minTBP‑1‑PRGDN may enhance and accelerate the activities of MC3T3‑E1 cells on Ti, however, its role in vivo must be determined by further studies.