Resisting Bacteria and Attracting Cells: Bifunctional Coating by Simple Self-Assembled Peptides

Peri-implantitis, a disease related to dental implants, is considered to be the next epidemic. In this medical condition, an infection of the area adjacent to the implant may lead to a failure of the implant and subsequently, to its removal. This infection is caused by the formation of biofilm, an organized network of bacteria. The challenge in designing dental implants is therefore to create a material that prevents bacterial adsorption, on the one hand, and encourages cell adhesion, for integrating the implant into the tissue, on the other hand. In our work, we show the rational design and synthesis of a short peptide (only six amino acids long) that self-assembles under mild conditions into a coating that reduces bacterial adsorption and encourages cell adhesion and proliferation. This peptide-based coating can be applied onto dental implants and on any other implant that requires this dual activity. More importantly, this peptide can serve as a general platform for generating functional coatings.