Self-assembly Peptide for Dental Enamel Biomimetics

Objective: Determine the possibility of a self-assembly peptide using for dental enamel biomimetics. Methods: Peptide T2 is designed to be amphiphilic. Then, T2 is synthesized by standard solid-phase chemistry and purified by HPLC. After obtaining of T2, TEM (transmission electronic microscopes) is used to observe T2's self-assembly behavior in water solution at 0.2 wt% (pH=7.4). A double diffusion system is used to investigate T2's mineralization features in which T2 can influence on calcium phosphate precipitating in gel carrier. Gel carrier without T2 is taken as control. Formation time of calcium phosphate precipitation and the shape & size of precipitation is taken as marks to describe the mineralization features of T2. HA (hydorxyapatite) crystals form in precipitation is compared with human dental enamel crystals under TEM. Results: (1) T2 can self-assemble in water solution and build up reticulate nano-fibers whose diameter divers from 10~100 nm, but length up to 100 ìm. (2) T2 can reduce the calcium phosphate precipitation formation period to 43.28 hours comparing with 63.28 hours in control group(p<0.05). (3) HA crystals in needle-like shape are found in test group precipitation comparing with plate-like and irregulate shape calcium phosphate in control group. (4) Needle-like crystals has diameter of 2~15ìm and length about 50~100ìm which are similar to crystals in dental enamel. Conclusion: T2, an artificial amphiphilic peptide can prompt the calcium phosphate formation in double diffusion system, and influence HA crystals come into being needle-like shape which is similar to them in dental enamel both in shape and size. So, T2 may be taken as a potential molecule for dental enamel biomimetics.