Wool fibril sponges with perspective biomedical applications.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Textile Science

Background:

• Natural polymers like keratin offer biocompatible and biodegradable alternatives for tissue engineering scaffolds.
• Sheep's wool is an abundant and renewable protein-rich biomaterial.
• Developing effective scaffolds requires mimicking the native extracellular matrix (ECM) for cellular interaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare keratin microfibril sponges from sheep's wool for tissue engineering applications.
• To characterize the structural, physical, and in vitro biocompatibility properties of the wool-derived sponges.
• To evaluate the potential of these sponges as scaffolds for cell adhesion and proliferation.

Main Methods:

• Keratin microfibril sponges were prepared from sheep's wool using alkali treatment, ultrasonication, casting, and salt-leaching.
• Structural properties including porosity and swelling behavior were analyzed.
• In vitro biocompatibility was assessed using MTT and FDA assays, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Main Results:

• The wool sponges exhibited high interconnected porosity (93%) and structural stability.
• Sponges demonstrated good thermal and water stability, with resilience to compression.
• In vitro assays confirmed good cell adhesion and proliferation on the keratin scaffolds.
• The sponges possess intrinsic cell recognition sites mimicking the ECM.

Conclusions:

• Sheep's wool can be effectively processed into keratin microfibril sponges suitable for tissue engineering.
• These natural scaffolds offer excellent biocompatibility, structural integrity, and porosity for cell growth.
• The developed sponges represent a promising biomaterial for future regenerative medicine applications.