Axonal guidance using biofunctionalized silk fibroin fibers manufactured using the SFS technique

Abstract

After an injury, the central nervous system's limited regenerative capacity severely hampers the reconnection and functional recovery of affected nervous tissue, making it an arduous task. To address this critical issue, biomaterials have emerged as a promising solution for designing scaffolds that facilitate and guide the regenerative process. Leveraging prior research on regenerated silk fibroin fibers produced via the straining flow spinning (SFS) technique, this study aims to demonstrate that biofunctionalized SFS fibers offer superior guidance capabilities compared to non- functionalized fibers. The study reveals that neurons' axons exhibit a remarkable tendency to align with the fibers' paths, in contrast to the isotropic growth observed on conventional culture plates. Additionally, the guidance ability of these fibers can be further enhanced through the biofunctionalization of the material with adhesion peptides. Proving the exceptional guidance potential of these fibers opens up exciting possibilities for their application as implants in spinal cord injuries. They could serve as a core component of a therapeutic approach that facilitates the reconnection of injured spinal cord ends, holding promise for significantly improving treatment outcomes in such cases.This study was partially funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PID2020-116403RB-I00; MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033), Comunidad de Madrid (MINA-CM P2022-BMD-7236) and by the agreement between the Comunidad de Madrid (Spain) and the UPM through the REACT-UE funds of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), as a part of the response of the European Union to the SARS-CoV2 and COVID- 19 pandemic. It also has been financed by the UCM together with Banco Santander Scholarships (BOUC 11-23-2021; ref.: CT58/21-CT59/21)

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