Coating Topologically Complex Electrospun Fibers with Nanothin Silk Fibroin Enhances Neurite Outgrowth in Vitro.

ABSTRACT: Electrospun poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) fibers are commonly used for tissue engineering applications because of their uniform morphology, and their efficacy can be further enhanced via surface modification. In this study, we aimed to increase neurite outgrowth along electrospun fibers by coating with silk fibroin (SF), a bioinert protein derived from Bombyx mori cocoon threads, shown to be neurocompatible. Aligned PLLA fibers were electrospun with smooth, pitted, and divoted surface nanotopographies and coated with SF by immersion in coating solution for either 12 or 24 h. Specifically, thin-film coatings of SF were generated by leveraging the controlled self-assembly of SF in aqueous conditions that promote β-sheet assembly. For both 12- and 24-h coatings, Congo Red staining for β-sh

SUBMITTER: Ziemba AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8275559 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature