Home
Resources
Publications
Phosphorylation of Silk Fibroins Improves the Cytocompatibility of Silk Fibroin Derived Materials: A Platform for the Production of Tuneable Material

Phosphorylation of Silk Fibroins Improves the Cytocompatibility of Silk Fibroin Derived Materials: A Platform for the Production of Tuneable Material

Vadim Volkov, Andreia Vasconcelos, Marisa P Sárria, Andreia C Gomes, Artur Cavaco-Paulo

Biotechnol J. 2014 Oct;9(10):1267-78.

PMID: 25087614

Abstract:

Silk fibroin demonstrates great biocompatibility and is suitable for many biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Current research focuses on manipulating the physico-chemical properties of fibroin, and examining the effect of this manipulation on firobin's biocompatibility. Regenerated silk fibroin was modified by in vitro enzymatic phosphorylation and cast into films. Films were produced by blending, at several ratios, the phosphorylated and un-phosphorylated fibroin solutions. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy was used to determine the specific P-OH vibration peak, confirming the phosphorylation of the regenerated silk fibroin solution. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that phosphorylation altered the intra- and inter-molecular interactions. Further experiments demonstrated that phosphorylation can be used to tailor the hydrophylicity/hydrophobicity ratio as well as the crystalinity of silk fibroin films. Release profiling of a model drug was highly dependent on silk modification level. Cytotoxicity assays showed that exposure to lixiviates of phosphorylated films only slightly affected cellular metabolism and proliferation, although direct contact resulted in a strong direct correlation between phosphorylation level and cell proliferation. This new method for tuning silk biomaterials to obtain specific structural and biochemical features can be adapted for a wide range of applications. Phosphorylation of silk fibroins may be applied to improve the cytocompatibility of any silk-based device that is considered to be in contact with live animals or human tissues.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number	Product Name	Structure	CAS Number	Price
IAR4248421	Silk, Fibroin Solution			Price

As a specialist in analytical chemical Products, Alfa Chemistry offers consumers a wealth of raw materials and a full range of technologies and services.

QUICK LINKS

HEADQUARTERS

Tel:

Fax:

Email: