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International Journal of Bioprinting 3D bioprinting of ultrashort peptides for chondrogenesis

Figure 2. Fidelity and various shape of printed constructs of IIZK and IZZK peptide bioinks.

group-box gene 9 (Sox-9) were evaluated, in addition increased over days in culture, and at day 14, a highly
to collagen type I (Col-I) and collagen type X (Col-X) significant difference was observed in MSCs cultured
markers for fibro- and hypertrophic cartilage. in IZZK peptide compared to IIZK peptide. Col-II is a
marker of hyaline cartilage, and during chondrogenesis,
[46]
Sox-9 is a master transcription factor in the it promotes the formation of the ECM . The expression
chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs, controlling the level of Col-II was increased in MSCs on both ultrashort
expression of crucial genes involved in chondrogenesis peptide hydrogels (Figure 4A). Interestingly, a high
and responsible for Col-II synthesis . At day 7 of increase in the expression level at day 14 of differentiation,
[45]
differentiation, around a twofold increase in the expression reaching up to 300-fold change, was observed on both
level of Sox-9 was observed on both ultrashort peptides ultrashort peptides (Figure 4A). This high increase in the
(Figure 4A). Moreover, the expression level of Sox-9 was expression of Col-II was among the highest reported [47,48] ,

Volume 9 Issue 4 (2023) 69 https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.719