Abstract
Reconstruction of long-segment peripheral nerve gaps remains a clinical challenge, as neither autografts nor FDA-approved nerve conduits achieve satisfactory functional recovery. Conduits filled with native Trichonephila dragline silk show promise for nerve defects exceeding the critical length, but translating natural silk to clinical use has limitations, necessitating research into recombinant silk replica. The search for optimal silk templates is ongoing, with numerous spider species still unexplored. This study aims to compare the ability of four native silk fibers from phylogenetically diverse spider families to support nerve regeneration. The influence of fiber morphology, primary and secondary protein structures, surface charge, chemical composition, and mechanical properties on the initial cell attachment is studied. Results demonstrate that silk collected from Peucetia lucasi do not adequately support Schwann cell adhesion, which is caused by the lack of a lipid layer and the limited fiber wettability. This reduced wettability, governed by the ratio of hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids of silk, is particularly relevant when considering the deployment of uncoated artificial silk fibers for neural tissue engineering. This knowledge is crucial for paving the way toward full functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury via implanting advanced synthetic nerve guidance conduits enhanced with luminal silk alternatives.
| Originalsprache | Englisch |
|---|---|
| Fachzeitschrift | Advanced Functional Materials |
| Jahrgang | 35 |
| Ausgabenummer | 15 Special IssueSI |
| DOIs | |
| Publikationsstatus | Veröffentlicht - Apr. 2025 |
Fördermittel
This work was funded by the Austrian Science Fund [10.55776/P33613]. First of all, the authors thank Xavier Monforte Vila and Andreas Teuschl\u2010Woller from the University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien for providing silkworm silk. Furthermore, the authors express their appreciation to Benjamin Schmuck and Anna Rising from the Karolinska Institutet and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences for the recombinant NT2RepCT fibers. Additionally, the authors would like to thank Stephan Puchegger and the faculty center for nanostructure research at the University of Vienna for support with scanning electron microscopy as well as Dieter Baurecht and Ellen Backus for access to the Raman spectrometer. The authors are grateful to Johannes Konnerth of the Institute of Wood Technology and Renewable Materials, BOKU University, for granting access to their nanoindenter. Moreover, the authors thank Thomas Willers and Stefan Benn from KR\u00DCSS GmbH for access to the DSA30 M drop shape analyzer and for their assistance during the measurements and data analysis. The authors are also thankful to the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Vienna, for providing the micro\u2010pH\u2010electrode. Lastly, the authors acknowledge the continuous support and input from Peter Biwer at the Technical University of Braunschweig during the lipidomics measurements. The authors sincerely thank Maximilian Haertinger and Flavia Millesi for their efforts in visualizing this work in the form of a ToC. Bombyx mori
ÖFOS 2012
- 205019 Materialwissenschaften
- 301306 Medizinische Molekularbiologie
- 301303 Medizinische Biochemie
- 205004 Funktionsmaterialien