Collagen is a structural protein that acts as a scaffold for the calcium phosphate mineralization reaction that forms bone. In order to better understand this mineralization reaction, collagen hydrogels have been synthesized and mineralized biomimetically. Selected DNA aptamers have the ability to template mineral formation by promoting intrafibrillar or extrafibrillar mineralization, depending on the aptamer sequence and the presence of a G-quadruplex structure. To investigate the behavioral differences between the DNA aptamers and the resulting type of mineralization, the affinity of the DNA to collagen and the percentage of DNA taken up by the collagen at different time-points during the mineralization reaction has been studied. Collagen hydrogels have also successfully been prepared on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) surfaces to measure mineralization via mass loading in real time to better understand the reaction kinetics when different aptamers are present. These experiments could lead to an improved understanding how DNA aptamers impact the mineralization reaction.

Understanding the influence of DNA aptamers in time-resolved calcium phosphate mineralization of collagen hydrogels

ACS Spring 2022

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