Genetically engineered nanofiber-like viruses for tissue regenerating materials.

Controlling structural organization and signaling motif display of biomimetic matrices at the nanometer scale is of great importance to the functional design of tissue regenerating materials. We have genetically engineered M13 bacteriophage (phage), naturally occurring nanofiber-like viruses, to display a high density of cell-signaling peptides on their major coat proteins. Structural orientation of these phage building blocks can be achieved due to their long-rod shape and monodispersity, which lead them to self-assemble into directionally organized liquid crystalline-like materials. We showed that the constructed viral nanofiber scaffolds were able to support neural progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation as well as direct orientation of their growth in three dimensions. Such functionalized and structurally aligned phage matrices offer promising opportunities for therapies that address challenging medical problems, such as nerve tissue regeneration after spinal cord injuries, or as in vitro model systems for studying complicated cell signaling environments.