HUVEC cell affinity evaluation and integrin-mediated mechanism study on PHSRN-modified polymer

To investigate the role of the peptide Pro–His–Ser–Arg–Asn (PHSRN) in cell adhesion and growth, PHSRN- and Gly–Arg–Gly–Asp–Ser (GRGDS)-containing polymers (P-PN5 and P-GS5, respectively) were synthesized by modification of poly(d,l-lactide-co-beta-malic acid) (PLMA) with the corresponding peptides. The cell affinities of the modified polymers were evaluated by adhesion and proliferation experiments with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The results showed that P-PN5 had comparable ability to that of P-GS5 in supporting HUVEC adhesion and growth. Furthermore, the integrin-mediated mechanism of cell-substrate interaction was investigated. The results showed that P-PN5 had similar binding affinity and binding strength towards α5β1 compared to those of P-GS5. The findings suggest that PHSRN is capable of mediating the adhesion and growth of HUVECs independently and that PHSRN-modified polymers might be used as biologically compatible materials.