Peptide-Polysaccharides

HAWORKS provides high-purity Peptide-Polysaccharide Conjugates engineered to impart essential bioactivity, cell-adhesiveness, and biomimetic signaling to polysaccharide-based hydrogels and 3D cell culture scaffolds.

While native polysaccharides (such as Hyaluronic Acid, Alginate, Dextran, and Chitosan) provide biocompatible and hydrated structural matrices, they inherently lack specific cell-adhesion domains. Our peptide-functionalized conjugates covalently bridge defined glycan backbones with functional peptide motifs, recreating dynamic extracellular matrix (ECM) microenvironments for tissue engineering, 3D bioprinting, and regenerative medicine.

Key Bioactive Peptide Architectures

• Cell-Adhesion & Integrin-Binding (e.g., RGD Motifs):

  Covalently linked Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequences that engage cell-surface integrins ($\alpha_v\beta_3$ and $\alpha_5\beta_1$), promoting robust cell attachment, focal adhesion formation, cytoskeletal spreading, and long-term cell viability.

• Growth Factor Mimetics & Signaling Peptides (e.g., EGF, FGF, TGF, MGF):

  Bioactive peptide sequences that mimic receptor-binding domains of key growth factors, providing localized biochemical signaling to direct cell proliferation, stem cell differentiation, and angiogenesis without using whole labile proteins.

• Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP)-Sensitive Sequences:

  Enzymatically cleavable peptide crosslinks that allow encapsulated cells to degrade and remodel the surrounding hydrogel matrix dynamically.

• Immune-Modulating & Antimicrobial Sequences:

  Biofunctional peptides engineered to regulate local inflammatory responses, promote tissue healing, or inhibit bacterial colonization.