Neural stem cell adhesion and proliferation on phospholipid bilayers functionalized with RGD peptides

Peptide-functionalized materials show promise in controlling stem cell behavior by mimicking cell–matrix interactions. Supported lipid bilayers are an excellent platform for displaying peptides due to their ease of fabrication and low non-specific interactions with cells. In this paper, we report on the behavior of adult hippocampal neural stem cells (NSCs) on phospholipid bilayers functionalized with different RGD-containing peptides: either GGGNGEPRGDTYRAY (‘bsp-RGD(15)’) or GRGDSP. Fluid supported bilayers were prepared on glass surfaces by adsorption and fusion of small lipid vesicles incorporating synthetic peptide amphiphiles. NSCs adhered to bilayers with either GRGDSP or bsp-RGD(15) peptide. After 5 days in culture, NSCs formed neurosphere-like aggregates on GRGDSP bilayers, whereas on bsp-RGD(15) bilayers a large fraction of single adhered cells were observed, comparable to monolayer growth seen on laminin controls. NSCs retained their ability to differentiate into neurons and astrocytes on both peptide surfaces. This work illustrates the utility of supported bilayers in displaying peptide ligands and demonstrates that RGD peptides may be useful in synthetic culture systems for stem cells.