Interactions between spider silk and cells--NIH/3T3 fibroblasts seeded on miniature weaving frames.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Several materials have been used for tissue engineering purposes, since the ideal matrix depends on the desired tissue. Silk biomaterials have come to focus due to their great mechanical properties. As untreated silkworm silk has been found to be quite immunogenic, an alternative could be spider silk. Not only does it own unique mechanical properties, its biocompatibility has been shown already in vivo. In our study, we used native spider dragline silk which is known as the strongest fibre in nature.

Methodology/principal findings

Steel frames were originally designed and manufactured and woven with spider silk, harvesting dragline silk directly out of the animal. After sterilization, scaffolds were seeded with fibroblasts to analyse cell proliferation and adhesio

SUBMITTER: Kuhbier JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2918503 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature