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Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2009

Tissue Response to Subcutaneously Implanted Recombinant Spider Silk: An in Vivo Study

Fredriksson, Camilla; Hedhammar, My; Feinstein, Ricardo E; Nordling, Kerstin; Kratz, Gunnar; Johansson, Jan; Huss, Fredrik; Rising, Anna

Abstract

Spider silk is an interesting biomaterial for medical applications. Recently, a method for production of recombinant spider silk protein (4RepCT) that forms macroscopic fibres in physiological solution was developed. Herein, 4RepCT and Mersilk(TM) (control) fibres were implanted subcutaneously in rats for seven days, without any negative systemic or local reactions. The tissue response, characterised by infiltration of macrophages and multinucleated cells, was similar with both fibres, while only the 4RepCT-fibres supported ingrowth of fibroblasts and newly formed capillaries. This in vivo study indicates that 4RepCT-fibres are well tolerated and could be used for medical applications, e. g., tissue engineering.

Keywords

spider silk; recombinant; biocompatibility; in vivo

Published in

Materials
2009, volume: 2, number: 4, pages: 1908-1922
Publisher: MDPI AG

Authors' information

Fredriksson, Camilla
Linköping University
Hedhammar, My
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry (AFB)
Feinstein, Ricardo E
National Veterinary Institute (SVA)
Nordling, Kerstin
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry (AFB)
Kratz, Gunnar
University Hospital of Linköping
Johansson, Jan
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry (AFB)
Huss, Fredrik
University Hospital of Linköping
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry (AFB)

UKÄ Subject classification

Medical Materials

Publication Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma2041908

URI (permanent link to this page)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/43689