Defining the regenerative effects of native spider silk fibers on primary Schwann cells, sensory neurons, and nerve-associated fibroblasts.

ABSTRACT: The search for a suitable material to promote regeneration after long-distance peripheral nerve defects turned the spotlight on spider silk. Nerve conduits enriched with native spider silk fibers as internal guiding structures previously demonstrated a regenerative outcome similar to autologous nerve grafts in animal studies. Nevertheless, spider silk is a natural material with associated limitations for clinical use. A promising alternative is the production of recombinant silk fibers that should mimic the outstanding properties of their native counterpart. However, in vitro data on the regenerative features that native silk fibers provide for cells involved in nerve regeneration are scarce. Thus, there is a lack of reference parameters to evaluate whether recombinant silk fiber candidate

SUBMITTER: Millesi F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7894153 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature