Functionalizing silk hydrogels with nanoparticles and fibres

Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis

Abstract

This research explores the development of composite silk hydrogels by incorporating different types of silk nanoparticles and microfibres, including Antheraea mylitta (Tasar) silk. The aim was to generate hydrogel composites to ultimately modulate the mechanical properties of Bombyx mori (B. mori) silk hydrogels and enhance cell attachment. B. mori silk lacks the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) sequence that is used for cell adhesion. Therefore, introducing RGD-containing Tasar silk within B. mori hydrogels is particularly interesting. This thesis investigated the mechanical properties of silk hydrogels containing various nanoparticles including silica nanoparticles (Chapter 2 and Chapter 3), B. mori and Tasar silk nanoparticles (Chapter 3) as well as silk microfibres . These hydrogel composites were subjected to cell adhesion studies, using DU-145 cells and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived MSCs (iPSCs-MSCs). The research found that ilk hydrogels loaded with 5% w/v silica nanoparticles exhibited higher stiffness than those with lower concentrations (Chapter 2). In Chapter 3, the results showed that silk hydrogels functionalised with nanoparticles had similar stiffness but with variations in stress relaxation while maintaining consistent cell attachment. Silk hydrogels inforced with B. mori and Tasar silk fibres enhanced short-term cell proliferation and attachment, with Tasar silk microfibres being particularly effective. However, cell attachment on silk hydrogels was still less than on tissue culture plastic. Overall, this thesis generated composite silk hydrogels using a spectrum of nanoparticles and silk fibres that in turn modulated the mechanical properties and especially those hydrogels reinforced with silk microfibres, promote short-term cell growth and adhesion.
Date of Award14 Mar 2024
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • University Of Strathclyde
SupervisorChristine Dufès (Supervisor) & Philipp Seib (Supervisor)

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