Biomimetics

Research

15 pages, 2137 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variation in the Elastic Modulus and Increased Energy Dissipation Induced by Cyclic Straining of Argiope bruennichi Major Ampullate Gland Silk

by Ping Jiang, Lihua Wu, Menglei Hu, Sisi Tang, Zhimin Qiu, Taiyong Lv, Manuel Elices, Gustavo V. Guinea and José Pérez-Rigueiro

Biomimetics 2023, 8(2), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8020164 - 18 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1238

Abstract

The trends exhibited by the parameters that describe the mechanical behaviour of major ampullate gland silk fibers spun by Argiope bruennichi spiders is explored by performing a series of loading-unloading tests at increasing values of strain, and by the subsequent analysis of the [...] Read more.

The trends exhibited by the parameters that describe the mechanical behaviour of major ampullate gland silk fibers spun by Argiope bruennichi spiders is explored by performing a series of loading-unloading tests at increasing values of strain, and by the subsequent analysis of the true stress-true strain curves obtained from these cycles. The elastic modulus, yields stress, energy absorbed, and energy dissipated in each cycle are computed in order to evaluate the evolution of these mechanical parameters with this cyclic straining. The elastic modulus is observed to increase steadily under these loading conditions, while only a moderate variation is found in the yield stress. It is also observed that a significant proportion of the energy initially absorbed in each cycle is not only dissipated, but that the material may recover partially from the associated irreversible deformation. This variation in the mechanical performance of spider silk is accounted for through a combination of irreversible and reversible deformation micromechanisms in which the viscoelasticity of the material plays a leading role. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspiration in Silk Biomaterial Designing)

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15 pages, 5304 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Textile Design of an Intervertebral Disc Replacement Device from Silk Yarn

by Michael Wöltje, Liesa Künzelmann, Basak Belgücan, Andreas S. Croft, Benjamin Voumard, Stefan Bracher, Philippe Zysset, Benjamin Gantenbein, Chokri Cherif and Dilbar Aibibu

Biomimetics 2023, 8(2), 152; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8020152 - 12 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1755

Abstract

Low back pain is often due to degeneration of the intervertebral discs (IVD). It is one of the most common age- and work-related problems in today’s society. Current treatments are not able to efficiently restore the full function of the IVD. Therefore, the [...] Read more.

Low back pain is often due to degeneration of the intervertebral discs (IVD). It is one of the most common age- and work-related problems in today’s society. Current treatments are not able to efficiently restore the full function of the IVD. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to reconstruct the two parts of the intervertebral disc—the annulus fibrosus (AF) and the nucleus pulposus (NP)—in such a way that the natural structural features were mimicked by a textile design. Silk was selected as the biomaterial for realization of a textile IVD because of its cytocompatibility, biodegradability, high strength, stiffness, and toughness, both in tension and compression. Therefore, an embroidered structure made of silk yarn was developed that reproduces the alternating fiber structure of +30° and −30° fiber orientation found in the AF and mimics its lamellar structure. The developed embroidered ribbons showed a tensile strength that corresponded to that of the natural AF. Fiber additive manufacturing with 1 mm silk staple fibers was used to replicate the fiber network of the NP and generate an open porous textile 3D structure that may serve as a reinforcement structure for the gel-like NP. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspiration in Silk Biomaterial Designing)

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17 pages, 4347 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Axonal Guidance Using Biofunctionalized Straining Flow Spinning Regenerated Silk Fibroin Fibers as Scaffold

by Cristina Castro-Domínguez, Paloma Lozano-Picazo, Aroa Álvarez-López, Javier Garrote-Junco, Fivos Panetsos, Gustavo V. Guinea, Manuel Elices, Francisco Javier Rojo, Daniel González-Nieto, Luis Colchero, Milagros Ramos and José Pérez-Rigueiro

Biomimetics 2023, 8(1), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010065 - 4 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1618

Abstract

After an injury, the limited regenerative capacity of the central nervous system makes the reconnection and functional recovery of the affected nervous tissue almost impossible. To address this problem, biomaterials appear as a promising option for the design of scaffolds that promote and [...] Read more.

After an injury, the limited regenerative capacity of the central nervous system makes the reconnection and functional recovery of the affected nervous tissue almost impossible. To address this problem, biomaterials appear as a promising option for the design of scaffolds that promote and guide this regenerative process. Based on previous seminal works on the ability of regenerated silk fibroin fibers spun through the straining flow spinning (SFS) technique, this study is intended to show that the usage of functionalized SFS fibers allows an enhancement of the guidance ability of the material when compared with the control (nonfunctionalized) fibers. It is shown that the axons of the neurons not only tend to follow the path marked by the fibers, in contrast to the isotropic growth observed on conventional culture plates, but also that this guidance can be further modulated through the biofunctionalization of the material with adhesion peptides. Establishing the guidance ability of these fibers opens the possibility of their use as implants for spinal cord injuries, so that they may represent the core of a therapy that would allow the reconnection of the injured ends of the spinal cord. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspiration in Silk Biomaterial Designing)

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18 pages, 8026 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Glucose-Responsive Silk Fibroin Microneedles for Transdermal Delivery of Insulin

by Guohongfang Tan, Fujian Jiang, Tianshuo Jia, Zhenzhen Qi, Tieling Xing, Subhas C. Kundu and Shenzhou Lu

Biomimetics 2023, 8(1), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010050 - 24 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3986

Abstract

Microneedles (MNs) have attracted great interest as a drug delivery alternative to subcutaneous injections for treating diabetes mellitus. We report MNs prepared from polylysine-modified cationized silk fibroin (SF) for responsive transdermal insulin delivery. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of MNs’ appearance and morphology revealed [...] Read more.

Microneedles (MNs) have attracted great interest as a drug delivery alternative to subcutaneous injections for treating diabetes mellitus. We report MNs prepared from polylysine-modified cationized silk fibroin (SF) for responsive transdermal insulin delivery. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of MNs’ appearance and morphology revealed that the MNs were well arranged and formed an array with 0.5 mm pitch, and the length of single MNs is approximately 430 μm. The average breaking force of an MN is above 1.25 N, which guarantees that it can pierce the skin quickly and reach the dermis. Cationized SF MNs are pH-responsive. MNs dissolution rate increases as pH decreases and the rate of insulin release are accelerated. The swelling rate reached 223% at pH = 4, while only 172% at pH = 9. After adding glucose oxidase, cationized SF MNs are glucose-responsive. As the glucose concentration increases, the pH inside the MNs decreases, the MNs’ pore size increases, and the insulin release rate accelerates. In vivo experiments demonstrated that in normal Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, the amount of insulin released within the SF MNs was significantly smaller than that in diabetic rats. Before feeding, the blood glucose (BG) of diabetic rats in the injection group decreased rapidly to 6.9 mmol/L, and the diabetic rats in the patch group gradually reduced to 11.7 mmol/L. After feeding, the BG of diabetic rats in the injection group increased rapidly to 33.1 mmol/L and decreased slowly, while the diabetic rats in the patch group increased first to 21.7 mmol/L and then decreased to 15.3 mmol/L at 6 h. This demonstrated that the insulin inside the microneedle was released as the blood glucose concentration increased. Cationized SF MNs are expected to replace subcutaneous injections of insulin as a new modality for diabetes treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspiration in Silk Biomaterial Designing)

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Review

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24 pages, 3735 KiB

Open AccessReview

Silk-Based Biomaterials for Designing Bioinspired Microarchitecture for Various Biomedical Applications

by Ajay Kumar Sahi, Shravanya Gundu, Pooja Kumari, Tomasz Klepka and Alina Sionkowska

Biomimetics 2023, 8(1), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010055 - 28 Jan 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3033

Abstract

Biomaterial research has led to revolutionary healthcare advances. Natural biological macromolecules can impact high-performance, multipurpose materials. This has prompted the quest for affordable healthcare solutions, with a focus on renewable biomaterials with a wide variety of applications and ecologically friendly techniques. Imitating their [...] Read more.

Biomaterial research has led to revolutionary healthcare advances. Natural biological macromolecules can impact high-performance, multipurpose materials. This has prompted the quest for affordable healthcare solutions, with a focus on renewable biomaterials with a wide variety of applications and ecologically friendly techniques. Imitating their chemical compositions and hierarchical structures, bioinspired based materials have elevated rapidly over the past few decades. Bio-inspired strategies entail extracting fundamental components and reassembling them into programmable biomaterials. This method may improve its processability and modifiability, allowing it to meet the biological application criteria. Silk is a desirable biosourced raw material due to its high mechanical properties, flexibility, bioactive component sequestration, controlled biodegradability, remarkable biocompatibility, and inexpensiveness. Silk regulates temporo-spatial, biochemical and biophysical reactions. Extracellular biophysical factors regulate cellular destiny dynamically. This review examines the bioinspired structural and functional properties of silk material based scaffolds. We explored silk types, chemical composition, architecture, mechanical properties, topography, and 3D geometry to unlock the body’s innate regenerative potential, keeping in mind the novel biophysical properties of silk in film, fiber, and other potential forms, coupled with facile chemical changes, and its ability to match functional requirements for specific tissues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspiration in Silk Biomaterial Designing)

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29 pages, 2876 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Developments of Silk-Based Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Applications: A Special Focus on the Advancement of 3D Printing

by Asma Musfira Shabbirahmed, Rajkumar Sekar, Levin Anbu Gomez, Medidi Raja Sekhar, Samson Prince Hiruthyaswamy, Nagaraj Basavegowda and Prathap Somu

Biomimetics 2023, 8(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010016 - 2 Jan 2023

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4108

Abstract

Regenerative medicine has received potential attention around the globe, with improving cell performances, one of the necessary ideas for the advancements of regenerative medicine. It is crucial to enhance cell performances in the physiological system for drug release studies because the variation in [...] Read more.

Regenerative medicine has received potential attention around the globe, with improving cell performances, one of the necessary ideas for the advancements of regenerative medicine. It is crucial to enhance cell performances in the physiological system for drug release studies because the variation in cell environments between in vitro and in vivo develops a loop in drug estimation. On the other hand, tissue engineering is a potential path to integrate cells with scaffold biomaterials and produce growth factors to regenerate organs. Scaffold biomaterials are a prototype for tissue production and perform vital functions in tissue engineering. Silk fibroin is a natural fibrous polymer with significant usage in regenerative medicine because of the growing interest in leftovers for silk biomaterials in tissue engineering. Among various natural biopolymer-based biomaterials, silk fibroin-based biomaterials have attracted significant attention due to their outstanding mechanical properties, biocompatibility, hemocompatibility, and biodegradability for regenerative medicine and scaffold applications. This review article focused on highlighting the recent advancements of 3D printing in silk fibroin scaffold technologies for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspiration in Silk Biomaterial Designing)

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16 pages, 1244 KiB

Open AccessReview

Designing Silk-Based Cryogels for Biomedical Applications

by Turdimuhammad Abdullah, Esra Su and Adnan Memić

Biomimetics 2023, 8(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010005 - 22 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2519

Abstract

There is a need to develop the next generation of medical products that require biomaterials with improved properties. The versatility of various gels has pushed them to the forefront of biomaterials research. Cryogels, a type of gel scaffold made by controlled crosslinking under [...] Read more.

There is a need to develop the next generation of medical products that require biomaterials with improved properties. The versatility of various gels has pushed them to the forefront of biomaterials research. Cryogels, a type of gel scaffold made by controlled crosslinking under subzero or freezing temperatures, have great potential to address many current challenges. Unlike their hydrogel counterparts, which are also able to hold large amounts of biologically relevant fluids such as water, cryogels are often characterized by highly dense and crosslinked polymer walls, macroporous structures, and often improved properties. Recently, one biomaterial that has garnered a lot of interest for cryogel fabrication is silk and its derivatives. In this review, we provide a brief overview of silk-based biomaterials and how cryogelation can be used for novel scaffold design. We discuss how various parameters and fabrication strategies can be used to tune the properties of silk-based biomaterials. Finally, we discuss specific biomedical applications of silk-based biomaterials. Ultimately, we aim to demonstrate how the latest advances in silk-based cryogel scaffolds can be used to address challenges in numerous bioengineering disciplines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspiration in Silk Biomaterial Designing)

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Other

Jump to: Research, Review

16 pages, 759 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Clinical Use of Non-Suture Silk-Containing Products: A Systematic Review

by Jose A. Foppiani, Allan Weidman, Angelica Hernandez Alvarez, Lauren Valentine, Karthika Devi, David L. Kaplan and Samuel J. Lin

Biomimetics 2023, 8(1), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010045 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2017

Abstract

Aims: The purpose of this systematic review is to determine how various innovative non-suture silk and silk-containing products are being used in clinical practice, and compare patient outcomes following their use. Methods: A systematic review of PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane was [...] Read more.

Aims: The purpose of this systematic review is to determine how various innovative non-suture silk and silk-containing products are being used in clinical practice, and compare patient outcomes following their use. Methods: A systematic review of PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane was completed. A qualitative synthesis of all included studies was then performed. Results: Our electronic search identified 868 silk-related publications, which yielded 32 studies for full-text review. After exclusion, nine studies from 2011 to 2018 were included for qualitative analysis. A total of 346 patients were included which consisted of 37 males and 309 females. The mean age range was between 18–79 years old. The follow-up among studies ranged between one to twenty-nine months. Three studies addressed the application of silk in wound dressings, one on the topical application of silk-derived products, one on silk-derived scaffold in breast reconstruction, and three on silk underwear as adjunct for the treatment of gynecological conditions. All studies showed good outcomes alone or in comparison to controls. Conclusion: This systematic review concludes that silk products’ structural, immune, and wound-healing modulating properties are advantageous clinical assets. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to strengthen and establish the benefit of those products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspiration in Silk Biomaterial Designing)

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