Spider silk fibres in artificial nerve constructs promote peripheral nerve regeneration

Allmeling, Christina; Jokuszies, Andreas; Reimers, Kerstin; Kall, S.; Choi, Claudia; Brandes, Gudrun; Kasper, Cornelia; Scheper, Thomas; Guggenheim, Merlin; Vogt, Peter M.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2184.2008.00534.x

Cited by 155 publications

(125 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Furthermore, unlike most synthetic polymeric materials silk materials are nontoxic and biocompatible and cause no allergic reaction when incorporated 2,3 . Putative health risks can be prevented by using spider silk.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Air Filter Devices Including Nonwoven Meshes of Electrospun Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins

Lang

Jokisch

Scheibel

2013

JoVE

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Based on the natural sequence of Araneus diadematus Fibroin 4 (ADF4), the recombinant spider silk protein eADF4(C16) has been engineered. This highly repetitive protein has a molecular weight of 48kDa and is soluble in different solvents (hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP), formic acid and aqueous buffers). eADF4(C16) provides a high potential for various technical applications when processed into morphologies such as films, capsules, particles, hydrogels, coatings, fibers and nonwoven meshes. Due to their chemical stability and controlled morphology, the latter can be used to improve filter materials. In this protocol, we present a procedure to enhance the efficiency of different air filter devices, by deposition of nonwoven meshes of electrospun recombinant spider silk proteins. Electrospinning of eADF4(C16) dissolved in HFIP results in smooth fibers. Variation of the protein concentration (5-25% w/v) results in different fiber diameters (80-1,100 nm) and thus pore sizes of the nonwoven mesh.Post-treatment of eADF4(C16) electrospun from HFIP is necessary since the protein displays a predominantly α-helical secondary structure in freshly spun fibers, and therefore the fibers are water soluble. Subsequent treatment with ethanol vapor induces formation of water resistant, stable β-sheet structures, preserving the morphology of the silk fibers and meshes. Secondary structure analysis was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and subsequent Fourier self-deconvolution (FSD).The primary goal was to improve the filter efficiency of existing filter substrates by adding silk nonwoven layers on top. To evaluate the influence of electrospinning duration and thus nonwoven layer thickness on the filter efficiency, we performed air permeability tests in combination with particle deposition measurements. The experiments were carried out according to standard protocols.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Air Filter Devices Including Nonwoven Meshes of Electrospun Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins

Lang

Jokisch

Scheibel

2013

JoVE

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“…Two studies focusing on biofunctionality of spider silk did not notice any adverse effect because of an inflammatory response to implanted native spider silk. 71,72 In these two studies, dragline silk was used to construct peripheral nerve grafts by aligning the silk fibers in acellularized veins. In the first study, a 2-cm gap in the sciatic nerve in rats was experimentally induced and replaced by the spider silk nerve grafts.…”

Section: Biocompatibility Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current progress and limitations of spider silk for biomedical applications

et al. 2011

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Spider silk is a fascinating material combining remarkable mechanical properties with low density and biodegradability. Because of these properties and historical descriptions of medical applications, spider silk has been proposed to be the ideal biomaterial. However, overcoming the obstacles to produce spider silk in sufficient quantities and in a manner that meets regulatory demands has proven to be a difficult task. Also, there are relatively few studies of spider silk in biomedical applications available, and the methods and materials used vary a lot. Herein we summarize cell culture- and in vivo implantation studies of natural and synthetic spider silk, and also review the current status and future challenges in the quest for a large scale production of spider silk for medical applications.

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“…It is also extensively used to anastomose lesioned peripheral nerves [190,[262][263][264][265][266][267][268][269][270][271][272][273]. In fact, fibrin glue is a better for anastomosing peripheral nerves than sutures [268,[273][274][275][276][277]. Fibrin glue is both faster and easier to use than sutures, leads to more successful neurological recovery than sutures, and causes fewer complications, such as infections and inflammation [268,[273][274][275][276].…”

Section: Pure Fibrin and Platelet-rich Fibrin Glue For Peripheral Nermentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting Axon Regeneration and Neurological Recovery Following Traumatic Peripheral Nerve Injuries

Kuffler¹

2015

Int J Neurorehabilitation Eng

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Repairing Peripheral Nerves following Traumas Nerve crushWithin several days of crushing a peripheral nerve, the injured axons begin to regenerate through their distal pathway until they reach their original targets with which they restore neurological function. The larger the number of axons that regenerate through the distal nerve, the greater the extent of neurological recovery [1][2][3]. The number of axons that regenerate, and thus neurological recovery, is influenced by the physiological state of the distal denervated nerve pathway [4][5][6][7].Following a peripheral nerve crush, the injured axons begin to regenerate within 2 days of injury [8]. They may regenerate to their targets through their original pathway in association with and promoted by its Schwann cells, the neurotrophic factors they release, and the Schwann cell extracellular matrix [1,4,[9][10][11][12][13][14]. Thus, the distal nerve provides a simple means for promoting and directing the regenerating axons to their original targets [15][16][17][18]. However, when a nerve has a gap, the gap must be bridged with a material that is permissive to and promotes axon regeneration across the entire gap to reach the distal nerve stump, through which the axons must then be able to regenerate.The Schwann cells in the denervated distal nerve release neurotrophic factors that promote axon regeneration, but also release extracellular matrix components that promote and inhibit axon regeneration [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]. Thus, regeneration through the distal nerve is a balance of the influences of factors that both promote and inhibit regeneration. If the Schwann cells are present, such as after a simple nerve crush, virtually 100% of the axons regenerate and they innervate all the denervated synaptic sites. If the Schwann cells within the distal nerve pathway are killed, leaving only the extracellular matrix intact, the number of axons that regenerates to their targets decreases by 94%. This is because the factors required to trigger the regenerating axons to branch at extracellular matrix branch points are missing, axons do not branch, and therefore each axon reinnervates only a single denervated muscle fiber. Thus, Schwann cells along the distal nerve pathway and a AbstractFollowing a peripheral nerve crush, or when a peripheral the nerve is transected and the nerve stumps anastomosed, neurological recovery is generally excellent. This is because the axons merely have to regenerate through the distal portion of the nerve through the existing extracellular matrix of the denervated Schwann cells that direct and promote them to their distant denervated motor and sensory targets. However, when a length of a peripheral nerve is destroyed, and anastomosis is not possible, the standard surgical repair technique is to graft a length/s of autologous sensory nerve into the gap. Neurological recovery is generally good if the nerve gap is <2 cm in length, the repair is performed <4 months post trauma, and the patients are <25 years of age. Because the nerve ...

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Spider silk fibres in artificial nerve constructs promote peripheral nerve regeneration

Abstract: We conclude that spider silk is a viable guiding material for Schwann cell migration and proliferation as well as for axonal re-growth in a long-distance model for peripheral nerve regeneration.

Cited by 155 publications

References 38 publications

Air Filter Devices Including Nonwoven Meshes of Electrospun Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins

Air Filter Devices Including Nonwoven Meshes of Electrospun Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins

Current progress and limitations of spider silk for biomedical applications

Promoting Axon Regeneration and Neurological Recovery Following Traumatic Peripheral Nerve Injuries

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