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Fabrication of silk mesh with enhanced cytocompatibility: preliminary in vitro investigation toward cell-based therapy for hernia repair

  • Biomaterials Synthesis and Characterization
  • Original Research
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Abstract

Recent studies have demonstrated that combining cells with meshes prior to implantation successfully enhanced hernia repair. The idea is to create a biologic coating surrounding the mesh with autologous cells, before transplantation into the patient. However, due to the lack of a prompt and robust cell adhesion to the meshes, extensive in vitro cultivation is required to obtain a homogenous cell layer covering the mesh. In this context, the objective of this publication is to manufacture meshes made of silk fibres and to enhance the cytoadhesion and cytocompatibility of the biomaterial by surface immobilization of a pro-adhesive wheat germ agglutinin (lectin WGA). We first investigated the affinity between the glycoprotein WGA and cells, in solution and then after covalent immobilization of WGA on silk films. Then, we manufactured meshes made of silk fibres, tailored them with WGA grafting and finally evaluated the cytocompatibility and the inflammatory response of silk and silk–lectin meshes compared to common polypropylene mesh, using fibroblasts and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, respectively. The in vitro experiments revealed that the cytocompatibility of silk can be enhanced by surface immobilization with lectin WGA without exhibiting negative response in terms of pro-inflammatory reaction. Grafting lectin to silk meshes could bring advantages to facilitate cell-coating of meshes prior to implantation, which is an imperative prerequisite for abdominal wall tissue regeneration using cell-based therapy.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported with resources/facilities of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Experimental and Clinical Traumatology in Vienna and the FemTech grant programme. The financial support by the City of Vienna (MA 27, Project 12-06 and MA 23, Project 14-06) is gratefully acknowledged. Furthermore, we would like to thank M. Jafarmadar, A. Klotz and A. Khadem for their technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Donaueschingenstrasse 13, 1200, Vienna, Austria

    O. Guillaume, J. Park, S. Gruber-Blum, H. Redl & A. Petter-Puchner

  2. Department of Biochemical Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien, Höchstädtplatz 5, 1200, Vienna, Austria

    X. Monforte & A. H. Teuschl

  3. Department of General, Visceral and Oncological Surgery, Wilhelminenspital der Stadt Wien, Montleartstrasse 37, 1171, Vienna, Austria

    S. Gruber-Blum & A. Petter-Puchner

  4. The Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria

    O. Guillaume, J. Park, X. Monforte, H. Redl, A. Petter-Puchner & A. H. Teuschl

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  1. O. Guillaume
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  2. J. Park
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  7. A. H. Teuschl
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Correspondence to O. Guillaume.

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10856_2015_5648_MOESM1_ESM.tif

Illustration of the silk yarn and of the macroporous silk mesh obtained after knitting. Macroscopic observation of the silk yarn (A) and of the silk mesh obtained after knitting using a Silver Reed® machine (B). Inlet displays a high magnification of the mesh obtained by SEM (Magnification 20x, scale bar represents 1 mm) (C). Supplementary material 1 (TIFF 1134 kb)

10856_2015_5648_MOESM2_ESM.tif

Illustrations of the silk fibres before and after treatment. Macroscopic (A) and microscopic pictures of silk fibres before treatment (B), after degumming in boiling Na2CO3 (C) and after degumming followed by autoclave sterilization (D). Supplementary material 2 (TIFF 4770 kb)

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Guillaume, O., Park, J., Monforte, X. et al. Fabrication of silk mesh with enhanced cytocompatibility: preliminary in vitro investigation toward cell-based therapy for hernia repair. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 27, 37 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-015-5648-3

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