# Tenascin-c functionalised self-assembling peptide hydrogels for critical-sized bone defect reconstruction
**Source**: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/359951/
**Parent**: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/315918.html
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# Tenascin-c functionalised self-assembling peptide hydrogels for critical-sized bone defect reconstruction
Trubert-Paneli, A. et al.
(2026)
Tenascin-c functionalised self-assembling peptide hydrogels for critical-sized bone defect reconstruction.
*[Biomaterials](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/Biomaterials.html)*, 325,
123553.
(doi: [10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123553](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123553))
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| | [Text](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/359951/1/359951.pdf) 359951.pdf - Published Version Available under License [Creative Commons Attribution](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 10MB |
## Abstract
Critical-sized bone defects are unable to heal spontaneously and receive poor clinical prognosis due to limitations in modern treatment strategies. Next-generation therapies are applying biomaterials incorporating BMP-2 to effectively promote and support bone regeneration, but adverse effects are linked to uncontrolled BMP-2 egress from the biomaterial. Implementing extracellular matrix proteins to biomaterials is a favourable approach to alleviate these drawbacks, and self-assembling peptide hydrogels are rapidly emerging as modulable and versatile biomaterials. Here, we describe the creation of a tenascin-c-functionalised peptide hydrogel designed to regenerate critical-sized bone defects. A recombinant fragment of tenascin-c spanning from the 3rd to 5th fibronectin-like domains is integrated into the fibre network. We demonstrate that this nascent construct effectively retains BMP-2 to differentiate mesenchymal stem cells into mature osteoblasts and achieves complete unionisation of murine critical-sized bone defects under low BMP-2 dose. All in all, we demonstrate tenascin-c as a suitable candidate to functionalise biomaterials intended for bone engineering applications and the promising potential of self-assembling peptide hydrogels in treating critical-sized bone defects.
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| Item Type: | Articles |
| Additional Information: | The work was supported by funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 874889 - HEALIKICK), European Research Council AdG (101054728) and EPSRC through the Transformative Healthcare Technologies Programme Grant ‘Mechanomeds’ (EP/X033554/1). C.G-G. acknowledges support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Grant No. EPSRC NIA – EP/T000457/1). A.T.P. acknowledges the companies Manchester BIOGEL Ltd. and Cell Guidance Systems Ltd. for their support. |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | [Salmeron-Sanchez, Professor Manuel](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30067.html) and [Trubert-Paneli, Dr Alexandre](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/79649.html) and [Pringle, Eonan](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/60105.html) and [Gonzalez Garcia, Dr Cristina](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/31180.html) |
| Authors: | [Trubert-Paneli, A.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/79649.html), Williams, J. A., Windmill, J. F. C., Oñarte-Echevarria, L. I., [Pringle, E. W.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/60105.html), Rogkoti, T., Dong, S., Cipitria, A., Miller, A. F., [Gonzalez-Garcia, C.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/31180.html), Saiani, A., and [Salmeron-Sanchez, M.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30067.html) |
| College/School: | [College of Science and Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30000000/) [College of Science and Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30000000/) > [School of Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30300000/) > [Biomedical Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30303000/) |
| Journal Name: | [Biomaterials](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/Biomaterials.html) |
| Publisher: | Elsevier |
| ISSN: | 0142-9612 |
| ISSN (Online): | 1878-5905 |
| Published Online: | 11 July 2025 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2025 The Authors |
| First Published: | First published in Biomaterials 325: 123553 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons license |
University Staff: [Request a correction](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/cgi/request_correction?eprintid=359951) | Enlighten Editors: [Update this record](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/cgi/users/home?screen=EPrint::View&eprintid=359951)
Funder and Project Information
[Funder and Project Information](#)
[Funder and Project Information](#)
Project Code
Award No
Project Name
Principal Investigator
Funder's Name
Funder Ref
Lead Dept
[307621](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/307621.html)
HEALIKICK
Manuel Salmeron-Sanchez
[European Commission (EC)](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/funder/European_Commission_=28EC=29.html)
874889
School of Molecular Biosciences
[315918](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/315918.html)
DEVISE - Engineered viscoelasticity in regenerative microenvironments
Manuel Salmeron-Sanchez
[EPSRC EU Guarantee (EPSRCEU)](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/funder/EPSRC_EU_Guarantee_=28EPSRCEU=29.html)
101054728
ENG - Biomedical Engineering
[318950](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/318950.html)
Mechanobiology-based medicine - Phase 2
Manuel Salmeron-Sanchez
[Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/funder/Engineering_and_Physical_Sciences_Research_Council_=28EPSRC=29.html)
EP/X033554/1
ENG - Biomedical Engineering
[304627](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/304627.html)
Bioactive polysaccharide-based hydrogels for growth factors delivery during tissue repair.
Cristina Gonzalez Garcia
[Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/funder/Engineering_and_Physical_Sciences_Research_Council_=28EPSRC=29.html)
EP/T000457/1
ENG - Biomedical Engineering
Deposit and Record Details
[Deposit and Record Details](#)
[Deposit and Record Details](#)
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| ID Code: | 359951 |
| Depositing User: | [Ms Gail Annan](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/profile/2028) |
| Datestamp: | 15 Jul 2025 11:39 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Jul 2025 09:48 |
| Date of acceptance: | 10 July 2025 |
| Date of first online publication: | 11 July 2025 |
| Date Deposited: | 23 July 2025 |
| Data Availability Statement: | No |
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