# The Role of Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Adhesion Motifs in Functionalised Hydrogels
## 7 Conclusions  
Evidence for the improved biocompatibility of a range of hydrogels functionalised via ECM adhesion motifs is abundant (Table 3). However, focus now needs to be given to more complex multicomponent hydrogels consisting of self-assembling peptides, rather than a fully synthetic or natural backbone. Such hydrogels could be functionalised with one or more ECM adhesion motifs, relevant to the anatomical site for tissue engineering. Multi-component biocompatible hydrogels represent an emerging class of novel hydrogels that merit future study to expedite the translation of biomimetic hydrogels to therapeutic use.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**ECM Peptide** & **Hydrogel** & **Cell Application** & **Cell Type** & **Reference** \\ \hline GFOGER & PEG & Proliferation Differentiation & MSCs & [100] \\  & & & Differentiation & \\  & & Viability Differentiation & MSCs & [101] \\  & & Viability and Signalling Differentiation & hBMSCs & [102] \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 3: A collection of ECM peptides based on studies that have been used to functionalise hydrogels and their cellular applications.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline
**ECM Peptide** & **Hydrogel** & **Cell Application** & **Cell Type** & **Reference** \\ \hline  & PEG-PCL & Adhesion & BMSCs & [103] \\  & & Spreading & & \\  & & Regeneration & & \\ \hline DGEA & Alginate & Adhesion & MSCs & [106] \\  & & Viability & & \\  & Differentiation & & & \\ \hline P15 & Hyaluronate & Attachment & Osteoblast- & [111] \\  & (with ABM) & Migration & like HOS & \\  & Viability & cells & & \\  & Differentiation & & & \\ \hline RGD & PEG & Viability & hPDCs & [91] \\  & & Proliferation & & \\  & Differentiation & & & \\  & & Viability & MSCs & [92] \\  & & Proliferation & MSCs & [100] \\  & Differentiation & & & \\ \hline Chitosan & Attachment & BMSCs & [93] \\  & & Proliferation & & \\  & Spreading & & & \\  & Differentiation & & & \\ \hline Vitrogel & Viability & hASCs & [97] \\  & & Differentiation & & \\  & Adhesion & & & \\  & Spreading & & & \\ \hline Alginate & Viability & HUVECs & [94] \\  & Spreading & & & \\  & Proliferation & & & \\ \hline Polypeptide & Viability & BMSCs & [95] \\  & Spreading & & & \\  & Proliferation & & & \\ \hline Poly organo- & Viability & MSCs & [96] \\  & phosphazene & Spreading & & \\  & Proliferation & & & \\ \hline Hyaluronic & Differentiation & Chondrocytes & [98] \\  & acid/Pectin & & & \\ \hline PHEG & Adhesion & MSCs & [134] \\  & & Spreading & & \\  & Proliferation & & \\  & Cell– & cell– & matrix & \\  & interactions & & \\ \hline LDV & Peptide & Viability & Fibroblasts & [114] \\  & Spreading & & & \\ \hline IKVAV & PLEOF & Viability & Neural & [117] \\  & & Adhesion & stem cells & \\  & Differentiation & & & \\  & & & \\  & & & & \\  & & & & \\  & & & \\  & & & & \\ \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 3: _Cont._  
**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, I.A.E.-K., S.A.C. and F.T.L.; writing--original draft, A.J.M. and F.T.L.; writing--review and editing, A.J.M., I.A.E.-K., S.A.C. and F.T.L. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
**Funding:** A.J.M. was supported by a PhD Studentship from the Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland).  
**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.  
**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.  
**Data Availability Statement:** Not applicable.  
**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.