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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: MRS Bull. 2015 Nov 1;40(12):1089–1101. doi: 10.1557/mrs.2015.270

Figure 4.

Figure 4

Strategies for the release of growth factors. (a) Growth-factor release by physical entrapment in a nerve conduit. (i) Photographs and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the nerve conduit. (ii) Sustained release of neural growth factor (NGF) from the scaffolds. (b) Sustained release of proteins through noncovalent interactions between the scaffold and the growth factor. (i) Scheme of the supramolecular interaction among biotinylated insulin-like growth factor (IGF), streptavidin, and a biotinlyated peptide as evidenced by (ii) AFM. (iii) Ventricular dilation, as measured by the difference in ventricular volume between days 1 and 21 after an induced myocardial infarction, was not observed for rats with cells embedded in the IGF-nanofiber construct. (c) Sustained growth-factor efficacy by mimicking the active site of the growth factor. (i) Molecular design of VEGF-mimetic peptide. (ii) Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM) image of the supramolecular polymers formed by the VEGF-mimetic PA. (iii) Tissue salvage score according to the hindlimb ischemia model showing a significantly higher tissue salvage for animals treated with VEGF-mimetic PA. (iv) Laser Doppler perfusion imaging shows significantly higher perfusion ratios for the VEGF-mimetic PA as compared to controls. Reproduced with permission from 99 © 2007 Elsevier (a), 105 © 2006 National Academy of Sciences (b), and 109 © 2012 National Academy of Sciences (c).