Resisting Bacteria and Attracting Cells: Spontaneous Formation of a Bifunctional Peptide-Based Coating by On-Surface Assembly Approach

Due to extension of life expectancy, millions of people suffer nowadays from bone and dental malfunctions that can only be treated by different types of implants. However, these implants tend to fail due to bacterial infection and lack of integration with the remaining tissue. Here, we demonstrate a new concept in which we use specifically designed peptides, in a Lego-like manner to endow multiple preprogrammed functions. We developed a bifunctional peptide-based coating that simultaneously rejects the adhesion of infecting bacteria and attracts cells that build the new connecting tissue. The peptide design contains fluorinated phenylalanine that mediates the self assembly of the peptide into a coating that resists bacterial adhesion. It also includes an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif that attracts mammalian cells. The whole compound is attached to the surface using a third unit, the amino acid 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA). This novel, yet very simple approach is significantly advantageous for practical use and synthesis. More importantly, this peptide design can serve as a general platform for generating functional coatings.