title: Recombinant spider silk as matrices for cell culture.
abstract: The recombinant miniature spider silk protein, 4RepCT, was used to fabricate film, foam, fiber and mesh matrices of different dimensionality, microstructure and nanotopography. These matrices were evaluated regarding their suitability for cell culturing. Human primary fibroblasts attached to and grew well on all matrix types, also in the absence of serum proteins or other animal-derived additives. The highest cell counts were obtained on matrices combining film and fiber/mesh. The cells showed an elongated shape that followed the structure of the matrices and exhibited prominent actin filaments. Moreover, the fibroblasts produced, secreted and deposited collagen type I onto the matrices. These results, together with findings of the matrices being mechanically robust, hold promise not only for in vitro cell culturing, but also for tissue engineering applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Biomedical Centre, 751 23, Uppsala, Sweden. mona.widhe@afb.slu.se
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Widhe
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bysell
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nystedt
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schenning
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malmsten
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rising
authors.forename: My
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hedhammar
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D047011:Silk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013112:Spiders / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D024042:Collagen Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D047011:Silk