Silk as a biomaterial

Silk as a biomaterial paste for biomimetic composite

Silk fibroin as biomaterial for bone tissue engineering.

UNLABELLED Silk fibroin (SF) is a fibrous protein which is produced mainly by silkworms and spiders. Its unique mechanical properties, tunable biodegradation rate and the ability to support the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells along the osteogenic lineage, have made SF a favorable scaffold material for bone tissue engineering. SF can be processed into various scaffold forms, combined s...

Spider Silk as Guiding Biomaterial for Human Model Neurons

Over the last years, a number of therapeutic strategies have emerged to promote axonal regeneration. An attractive strategy is the implantation of biodegradable and nonimmunogenic artificial scaffolds into injured peripheral nerves. In previous studies, transplantation of decellularized veins filled with spider silk for bridging critical size nerve defects resulted in axonal regeneration and re...

Natural biomaterial silk and silk proteins: Applications in tissue repair

Silk is a natural polymer synthesized and secreted by specialized silk gland of the silk worm. Silk is evolved as an ideal biomaterial can provide functional insight into relationships between polymer science and molecular biology. Silk proteins can be recovered from the silk during the processing chain of textile manufacture. The important characteristic of silk, especially the biocompatibilit...

In Vitro Evaluation of Spider Silk Meshes as a Potential Biomaterial for Bladder Reconstruction

Reconstruction of the bladder by means of both natural and synthetic materials remains a challenge due to severe adverse effects such as mechanical failure. Here we investigate the application of spider major ampullate gland-derived dragline silk from the Nephila edulis spider, a natural biomaterial with outstanding mechanical properties and a slow degradation rate, as a potential scaffold for ...