Self‐Assembling Peptide‐Based Nanostructures for Regenerative Medicine

Abstract Biomaterials designed at the molecular and supramolecular levels to interact with cells, biomolecules such as growth factors and biopolymers, and pharmaceuticals will all have a profound impact on technologies targeted towards the regeneration of damaged tissues as a result of trauma, disease or genetic defects. Advances in materials science, chemistry, genomics and stem cell biology will all contribute towards the development of therapies leading to the successful regeneration of specific tissues. Regenerative medicine therapies should be minimally invasive, and thus the notion of cell scaffolds that self‐assemble from injected liquids is highly attractive for clinical translation. In this regard, self‐assembling materials will play a key role in future regenerative medicine technologies. In this chapter we focus on the current development of injectable, self‐assembling scaffolds that can be designed to provide a biomimetic and bioactive environment to stimulate cell‐signaling pathways that are critical in the regenerative process. We also describe the use of self‐assembling coatings to render traditional inert materials more bioactive and biocompatible, especially in orthopedic applications.