A Combination of Flexible Modified Plant Virus Nanoparticles Enables Additive Effects Resulting in Improved Osteogenesis

Abstract

Plant virus nanoparticles (VNPs) genetically engineered to present osteogenic cues provide a promising method for biofunctionalizing hydrogels in bone tissue engineering. Flexible Potato virus X (PVX) nanoparticles substantially enhance the attachment and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) by presenting the RGD motif, hydroxyapatite‐binding peptide (HABP), or consecutive polyglutamates (E8) in a concentration‐dependent manner. Therefore, it was hypothesized that Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) nanoparticles, which present 1.5 times more functional peptides than PVX, would meliorate such an impact. This study hypothesizes that cultivating hMSCs on a surface coated with a combination of two VNPs presenting peptides for either cell attachment or mineralization can achieve additionally enhancing effects on osteogenesis. Calcium minerals deposited by differentiating hMSCs increases 2‐3‐fold for this combination, while the alkaline phosphatase activity of hMSCs grown on the PVX‐RGD/PVX‐HABP‐coated surface significantly surpasses any other VNP combination. Superior additive effects were observed for the first time by employing a combination of VNPs with varying functionalities. It was found that the flexible VNP geometry plays a more critical role than the concentration of functional peptides. In conclusion, various peptide‐presenting plant VNPs exhibit an additive enhancing effect offering significant potential for effectively functionalizing cell‐containing hydrogels in bone tissue engineering applications.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Getting Hold of the Tobamovirus Particle – Why and How? Purification Routes over Time and a New Customizable Approach

“…Therefore, tobamoviruses also hold great opportunities in scaffold-assisted tissue and organoid engineering technologies, to generate implants and model structures for personalized treatments: The rod-like VNPs exert beneficial effects on cells cultivated on planar substrates and in 3D-hydrogels and can guide the diffentiation of progenitor cells in response to their contact with peptides presented on the viral backbones [137,138]. Recently, tobamoviral scaffolds were combined with other plant viral effectors into osteogenesis-promoting hydrogels that were able to directed the formation of mineralized bone tissue-like entities [139].…”

Getting Hold of the Tobamovirus Particle—Why and How? Purification Routes over Time and a New Customizable Approach

“…The rod-like VNPs exert beneficial effects on cells cultivated on planar substrates and in 3D hydrogels and can guide the differentiation of progenitor cells in response to their contact with peptides presented on the viral backbones [141,142]. Recently, tobamoviral scaffolds were combined with other plant viral effectors into osteogenesis-promoting hydrogels that were able to direct the formation of mineralized bone tissue-like entities [143].…”