title: Silk-tropoelastin protein films for nerve guidance.
abstract: Peripheral nerve regeneration may be enhanced through the use of biodegradable thin film biomaterials as highly tuned inner nerve conduit liners. Dorsal root ganglion neuron and Schwann cell responses were studied on protein films comprising silk fibroin blended with recombinant human tropoelastin protein. Tropoelastin significantly improved neurite extension and enhanced Schwann cell process length and cell area, while the silk provided a robust biomaterial template. Silk-tropoelastin blends afforded a 2.4-fold increase in neurite extension, when compared to silk films coated with poly-d-lysine. When patterned by drying on grooved polydimethylsiloxane (3.5 μm groove width, 0.5 μm groove depth), these protein blends induced both neurite and Schwann cell process alignment. Neurons were functional as assessed using patch-clamping, and displayed action potentials similar to those cultured on poly(lysine)-coated glass. Taken together, silk-tropoelastin films offer useful biomaterial interfacial platforms for nerve cell control, which can be considered for neurite guidance, disease models for neuropathies and surgical peripheral nerve repairs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby St, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby St, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
authors.forename: Siran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Charles Perkins Center, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby St, Medford, MA 02155, USA. Electronic address: david.kaplan@tufts.edu.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002642:Chick Embryo; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D047011:Silk / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014333:Tropoelastin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D047011:Silk; D014333:Tropoelastin; D014404:Tubulin
keywords: Elastin; Nerve guide; Nerve regeneration; Protein blends; Silk