“Click” Immobilization of a VEGF-Mimetic Peptide on Decellularized Endothelial Extracellular Matrix to Enhance Angiogenesis

We show that coating of decellularized extracellular matrix (DC-ECM) on substrate surfaces is an efficient way to generate a platform mimicking the native ECM environment. Moreover, the DC-ECM can be modified with a peptide (QK) mimicking vascular endothelial growth factor without apparently compromising its integrity. The modification was achieved through metabolic incorporation of a "clickable" handle to DC-ECM followed by rapid attachment of the QK peptide with an azido tag using copper-catalyzed click reaction. The attachment of the QK peptide on to DC-ECM in this way further enhanced the angiogenic responses (formation of branched tubular networks) of endothelial cells.