1 research outputs found
Nanocomposite Gold-Silk Nanofibers
Cell-biomaterial interactions can be controlled by modifying
the
surface chemistry or nanotopography of the material, to induce cell
proliferation and differentiation if desired. Here we combine both
approaches in forming silk nanofibers (SNFs) containing gold nanoparticles
(AuNPs) and subsequently chemically modifying the fibers. Silk fibroin
mixed with gold seed nanoparticles was electrospun to form SNFs doped
with gold seed nanoparticles (SNF<sub>seed</sub>). Following gold
reduction, there was a 2-fold increase in particle diameter confirmed
by the appearance of a strong absorption peak at 525 nm. AuNPs were
dispersed throughout the AuNP-doped silk nanofibers (SNFs<sub>Au</sub>). The Young’s modulus of the SNFs<sub>Au</sub> was almost
70% higher than that of SNFs. SNFs<sub>Au</sub> were modified with
the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide. Human mesenchymal
stem cells that were cultured on RGD-modified SNF<sub>Au</sub> had
a more than 2-fold larger cell area compared to the cells cultured
on bare SNFs; SNF<sub>Au</sub> also increased cell size. This approach
may be used to alter the cell–material interface in tissue
engineering and other applications