Surface bound VEGF mimicking peptide maintains endothelial cell proliferation in the absence of soluble VEGFin vitro

Abstract Continuous glucose monitoring is an efficient method for the management of diabetes and in limiting the complications induced by large fluctuations in glucose levels. For this, intravascular systems may assist in producing more reliable and accurate devices. However, neovascularization is a key factor to be addressed in improving their biocompatibility. In this scope, the perennial modification of the surface of an implant with the proangiogenic Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor mimic peptide (SVVYGLR peptide sequence) holds great promise. Herein, we report on the preparation of gold substrates presenting the covalently grafted SVVYGLR peptide sequence and their effect on HUVEC behavior. Effective coupling was demonstrated using XPS and PM‐IRRAS. The produced surfaces were shown to be beneficial for HUVEC adhesion. Importantly, surface bound SVVYGLR is able to maintain HUVEC proliferation even in the absence of soluble VEGF. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 1425–1436, 2016.