Biofabrication of cell-loaded 3D spider silk constructs

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Biofabrication utilizes additive manufacturing and cell printing for tissue-like structures.
• Developing printable and cytocompatible bioinks is a major challenge in the field.
• Recombinant spider silk proteins offer potential due to non-immunogenicity, cytocompatibility, and physical crosslinking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate recombinant spider silk proteins as a novel bioink system.
• To assess the printability and cytocompatibility of spider silk-based bioinks.
• To investigate cell behavior within spider silk scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Main Methods:

• Utilized robotic dispensing for printing cell-loaded spider silk constructs.
• Assessed cell adhesion, proliferation, and viability in spider silk scaffolds over one week.
• Modified spider silk proteins with a cell-binding motif to control cell-material interactions.

Main Results:

• Spider silk constructs were printable via robotic dispensing without crosslinking additives.
• Cells demonstrated good adhesion and proliferation with high viability in spider silk scaffolds.
• Incorporating a cell-binding motif allowed for controlled cell-material interactions.

Conclusions:

• Recombinant spider silk proteins are a viable and attractive bioink for biofabrication.
• Spider silk-based hydrogels support cell viability and proliferation, crucial for tissue engineering.
• Spider silk offers a promising platform for developing advanced bioinks with tunable properties.