Effect of RGD Peptide‐Coated TiO₂ Nanotubes on the Attachment, Proliferation, and Functionality of Bone‐Related Cells

The purpose of this research was to characterize an Arg‐Gly‐Asp (RGD) peptide immobilized on TiO 2 nanotubes. In addition, we investigated the effects of the RGD peptide‐coated TiO 2 nanotubes on the cellular response, proliferation, and functionality of osteogenic‐induced human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), which are osteoclasts that have been induced by bone marrow macrophages. The RGD peptide was grafted covalently onto the surface of TiO 2 nanotubes based on the results of SEM, FT‐IR, and XPS. Furthermore, the RGD peptide promoted the initial attachment and proliferation of the hMSCs, regardless of the size of the TiO 2 nanotubes. However, the RGD peptide did not prominently affect the osteogenic functionality of the hMSCs because the peptide suppressed hMSC motility associated with osteogenic differentiation. The result of an in vitro osteoclast test showed that the RGD peptide accelerated the initial attachment of preosteoclasts and the formation of mature osteoclasts, which could resorb the bone matrix. Therefore, we believe that an RGD coating on TiO 2 nanotubes synthesized on Ti implants might not offer significant acceleration of bone formation in vivo because osteoblasts and osteoclasts reside in the same compartment.