Research Article

Interactions of Fibroblasts with Different Morphologies Made of an Engineered Spider Silk Protein†

  1. Aldo Leal-Egaña1,‡,
  2. Gregor Lang1,‡,
  3. Carolin Mauerer1,
  4. Jasmin Wickinghoff1,
  5. Michael Weber2,
  6. Stefan Geimer3,
  7. Thomas Scheibel1,*

Article first published online: 15 DEC 2011

DOI: 10.1002/adem.201180072

Issue

Advanced Engineering Materials

Advanced Engineering Materials

Volume 14, Issue 3, pages B67–B75, March 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Leal-Egaña, A., Lang, G., Mauerer, C., Wickinghoff, J., Weber, M., Geimer, S. and Scheibel, T. (2012), Interactions of Fibroblasts with Different Morphologies Made of an Engineered Spider Silk Protein. Adv. Eng. Mater., 14: B67–B75. doi: 10.1002/adem.201180072

Author Information

  1. 1

    Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany

  2. 2

    Lehrstuhl Pflanzenphysiologie, Universität Bayreuth Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany

  3. 3

    Zellbiologie und Elektronenmikroskopie, Universität Bayreuth Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany

  1. ‡

    Both authors contributed equally to this work.

*Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.

  1. †

    We gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the U.S. Army Research Office (grant number W911NF-0810284).

  2. ‡

    Both authors contributed equally to this work.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 5 MAR 2012
  2. Article first published online: 15 DEC 2011
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 19 NOV 2011
  4. Manuscript Received: 25 JUL 2011

Funded by

  • U.S. Army Research Office. Grant Number: W911NF-0810284

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Abstract

Spider silk has been investigated for decades due to the intriguing mechanical and also biomedical properties of the silk fibers. Previously, it has been shown that recombinant silk proteins can also be processed into other morphologies. Here, we characterized scaffolds made of the recombinant spider silk protein eADF4(C16) concerning their surface interactions with fibroblasts. Studies of BALB/3T3 cells on hydrogels and films made of eADF4(C16) showed low cell adhesion without observable duplication. Electro-spun non-woven scaffolds made of eADF4(C16), however, enabled both their adhesion and proliferation. Since eADF4(C16) lacks specific motifs for cell attachment, fibroblasts cannot generate focal adhesions with the material's surface, and, therefore, other cell–interface interactions such as topographical anchorage or cell attachment mediated by adhesion of extracellular matrix proteins are discussed in this paper. On non-woven meshes protrusion of filopodia and/or lamellipodia between individual fibers increase the surface contact area, which depends on the diameter of the fibers of the non-woven meshes. In contrast, at flat (film) or microstructured surfaces (hydrogels) such interactions seem to be precluded.

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