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Volume 7, Issue 2 (Suppl) J Biotechnol Biomater
ISSN: 2155-952X JBTBM, an open access journal Biomaterials 2017
March 27-28, 2017
2nd Annual Conference and Expo on
March 27-28, 2017 Madrid, Spain
Ana Pagán et al., J Biotechnol Biomater 2017, 7:2 (Suppl)
Silkworm gut fibers as novel biomaterials for tissue engineering applications
Ana Pagán1, Salvador D Aznar-Cervantes1, Luis Meseguer-Olmo2, José Pérez-Rigueiro3 and Jose L Cenis1
1Imida Murciano Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Development, Spain
2Universidad Católica de Murcia, Spain
3Technical University of Madrid, Spain
Silk fibroin has been largely studied in tissue engineering due to its excellent physical and biological properties. Based on this,
we have developed a new biomaterial consisting of high performance fibers produced directly from the silk glands of silkworms
(Bombyxmori) called silkworm gut fibers. This novel biomaterial could be a potential solution in tendon and ligament repair, as these
are very common injuries and the traditional surgical reconstruction including auto/allograft and ligament prostheses implants can
involve several complications. With this aim, we have braided the silkworm gut fibers, in order to explore the possibility to create a
consistent scaffold for ligament repair. The production of the silkworm gut fibers is based on a traditional procedure that consists of
immersion of the silk glands in an acidic solution and a subsequent stretching. We evaluated the mechanical properties of 3 silkworm
gut fibers weaved in three-strand braids. The biocompatibility assay was also performed by seeding bone marrow adult human
mesenchymal stem cells (ahMSCs) on the braided material. 7, 14 and 21 days after seeding, adhesion and proliferation, the cells were
studied by SEM and MTT assay, respectively. Our results showed a good and remarkable mechanical strength, with Young’s modulus
values of 80±20 MPa and an ultimate strength of 18±2 MPa. Moreover, cell adhesion and proliferation were excellent, the cells
appeared well spread and attached to the silkworm gut fibers surface, connecting to neighbouring cells and organizing a monolayer
over the braided material at day 21 post-seeding. We conclude that silkworm gut fibers combine good mechanical and biological
characteristics to be considered a potential biomaterial in tissue engineering applications.
Biography
Ana Pagán obtained a degree in Biology from University of Murcia. She has completed her PhD from the same university with a research stay at the Division of
Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, LMU University, Munich, Germany. She works as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Imida Murciano Institute for Agricultural and
Food Research and Development (IMIDA, Murcia, Spain), in the Department of Biotechnology, working on premier biomaterials in tissue engineering.