Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41088991›Full record

ArticleCurrent protein & peptide science2026

RGD Peptide-Based Hydrogel Enhances the Osteogenic Differentiation of Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells

Nadia Naeem, Muhammad Atif Siddiqui, Nazia Ahmed, Asma Saher Ansari, Kanwal Haneef

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Article in Current protein & peptide science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

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5 authors.

Nadia NaeemDow Research Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Ojha Campus, Suparco Road, Gulzar-e-hijri, Scheme-33, Karachi, 75280, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0003-1970-7340
Muhammad Atif SiddiquiDepartment of Oral Biology, Dr. Ishrat ul Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Ojha Campus, Suparco Road, Gulzar-e-hijri, Scheme-33, Karachi, 75280, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0002-0121-3281
Nazia AhmedDow Research Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Ojha Campus, Suparco Road, Gulzar-e-hijri, Scheme-33, Karachi, 75280, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0001-9436-3280
Asma Saher AnsariDepartment of Oral Biology, Dr. Ishrat ul Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Ojha Campus, Suparco Road, Gulzar-e-hijri, Scheme-33, Karachi, 75280, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0002-2413-0454
Kanwal HaneefDr. Zafar H. Zaidi Center for Proteomics, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0002-4725-4281

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPeriodontitis results in progressive loss of gingival tissue and periodontal ligament, eventually resulting in tooth instability. As regenerating degraded periodontal tissue is not possible without intervention, therefore, a tissue-engineered substitute is a good option. Bone regeneration strategies often rely on either biochemical stimulation or engineered scaffolds, but rarely in a coordinated manner. Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic acid (RGD) hydrogel provides a unique combination of biocompatibility and biodegradability, making it an attractive scaffold for tissue engineering. The study aims to investigate the effect of combining Wnt pathway activation with Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic acid (RGD) hydrogel (a three-dimensional environment, 3D) to enhance the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from periodontal ligament tissue.

methodsThe cells were isolated from the root of the extracted tooth. They were grown in an osteogenic medium with and without a Wnt activator in two-dimensional (2D) and RGD hydrogel- based 3D environments to expand in vitro. Osteogenic gene expression was evaluated by qPCR in 2D and 3D cultures. Mesenchymal stem cells isolated from periodontal ligament tissue showed osteogenic differentiation when cultured in a differential medium with or without the Wnt signaling activator, CHIR99021 (a GSK3β inhibitor).

resultsThe data of our study revealed that osteogenic genes were expressed in both 2D- and 3D-- cultured cells. However, higher expression of osteogenic genes was found in Wnt signaling-activated cells. Furthermore, the RGD hydrogel provided better differentiation efficacy and a significant increase (p < 0.001) in terms of Wnt-activated differentiation. DISCUSSION: The RGD hydrogel-Wnt activation model described in this study holds strong potential for translation into preclinical bone regeneration strategies. By enhancing osteogenic differentiation through a synergistic interaction between the Wnt signaling pathway and the 3D peptide hydrogel matrix, this platform offers a promising approach to early-stage testing of bone regeneration therapies.

conclusionHence, the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) hydrogel-based 3D microenvironment along with a Wnt signaling activator provides superior efficacy in differentiation since it allows cell encapsulation and an environment that closely simulates native tissues. Therefore, these findings highlight the synergistic effect of biochemical and biophysical cues in directing stem cell fate and offer a promising strategy for advancing stem cell-based bone tissue engineering.

Indexed as

Cell DifferentiationHydrogelsMesenchymal Stem CellsOligopeptidesOsteogenesisPeriodontal LigamentWnt Signaling PathwayCells, CulturedHumansTissue EngineeringTissue Scaffoldsarginyl-glycyl-aspartic acidHydrogelsOligopeptidesArginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptidehydrogelosteogenic differentiationperiodontal ligament stem cellsTissue engineeringWnt activator

Identifiers

PMID41088991

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.