Self-assembly and mineralization of peptide-amphiphile nanofibers

We have used the pH-induced self-assembly of a peptide-amphiphile to make a nanostructured fibrous scaffold reminiscent of extracellular matrix. The design of this peptide-amphiphile allows the nanofibers to be reversibly crosslinked to enhance or decrease their structural integrity. After cross-linking, the fibers are able to direct mineralization of hydroxyapatite to form a composite material in which the crystallographic c axes of hydroxyapatite are aligned with the tong axes of the fibers. This alignment is the same as that observed between Collagen fibrils and hydroxyapatite crystals in bone.