Trauma, cancer, infections, and degenerative and inflammatory diseases are all contributing to an increase in the prevalence of bone problems and deformities. Bone repair and replacement options are evolving as a result of advances in orthopedic technology and high-quality biomaterials. Biomaterials based on polymer scaffolds, such as chitosan, are making a substantial contribution to the rapid expansion of bone tissue engineering. New additives are constantly being developed in response to the rising need for increased bioactivity in biocomposites used for bone regeneration.

Here, we present the design and synthesis of a multifunctional, synthetic bioactive peptide composed of a fragment of human Cystatin C (CystC) and anoplin. By combining these two bioactive proteins, we aim to combine pro-regenerative and anti-inflammatory capabilities with antibacterial properties to effectively assist bone regeneration and wound healing while also preventing or treating bacterial infections throughout the healing process. The biological activity of the ug46 peptide and the chitosan-ug46 (CH-ug46) biocomposite was examined in vitro, and the results suggest improved regenerative properties of the CH-ug46 biocomposite, which is dose-dependent. Furthermore, while the ug46 peptide demonstrated limited antibacterial activity at low doses, the antibacterial capabilities of the biocomposites releasing high doses of peptide were able to suppress the growth of the selected bacteria strains that are commonly found infecting healed wounds.

Our findings indicate that synthetic peptides can be utilized to provide specific activities required to promote regeneration processes and prevent negative effects frequently associated with wound healing, such as microbiological infections or severe inflammation. Designed bioactive peptides show promise as additions to enhance porous scaffolds and may help to advance the development of specialized, custom-tailored biocomposites.