Macrophage responses to silk.

Silk fibers have potential biomedical applications beyond their traditional use as sutures. The physical properties of silk fibers and films make it a promising candidate for tissue engineering scaffold applications, particularly where high mechanical loads or tensile forces are applied or in cases where low rates of degradation are desirable. A critical issue for biomaterial scaffolds is biocompatibility. The direct inflammatory potential of intact silk fibers as well as extracts was studied in an in vitro system. The results indicate that silk fibers are largely immunologically inert in short- and long-term culture with RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells while insoluble fibroin particles induced significant TNF release. Soluble sericin proteins extracted from native silk fibers did not induce significant macrophage activation. While sericin did not activate macrophages by itself, it demonstrated a synergistic effect with bacterial lipopolysaccharide. The low level of inflammatory potential of silk fibers makes them promising candidates in future biomedical applications.

[1]  H. Rubash,et al.  Quantitative analysis of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) wear debris associated with total knee replacements. , 2000, Journal of biomedical materials research.

[2]  J W Eaton,et al.  Molecular basis of biomaterial-mediated foreign body reactions. , 2001, Blood.

[3]  D. Kaplan,et al.  Silk polymers : materials science and biotechnology , 1993 .

[4]  M A Freeman,et al.  Bone formation and bone resorption in failed total joint arthroplasties: Histomorphometric analysis with histochemical and immunohistochemical technique , 1996, Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.

[5]  Yasuo Watanabe,et al.  NMR of silk fibroin. Carbon-13 NMR study of the chain dynamics and solution structure of Bombyx mori silk fibroin , 1984 .

[6]  K. Kenyon,et al.  Adverse reactions to virgin silk sutures in cataract surgery. , 1984, Ophthalmology.

[7]  M. Tsukada,et al.  Effect of the chemical modification of the arginyl residue in Bombyx mori silk fibroin on the attachment and growth of fibroblast cells. , 1998, Journal of biomedical materials research.

[8]  M. Tsukada,et al.  Attachment and growth of cultured fibroblast cells on silk protein matrices. , 1995, Journal of biomedical materials research.

[9]  J. Santerre,et al.  Macrophage phagocytosis of polyethylene particulate in vitro. , 1998, Journal of biomedical materials research.

[10]  D. Hungerford,et al.  Immunohistochemical evaluation of interface membranes from failed cemented and uncemented acetabular components. , 1999, Journal of biomedical materials research.

[11]  I C Clarke,et al.  Mechanism and clinical significance of wear debris-induced osteolysis. , 1992, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.

[12]  W. Harris,et al.  Periprosthetic bone loss in total hip arthroplasty. Polyethylene wear debris and the concept of the effective joint space. , 1992, The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume.

[13]  J. Santerre,et al.  The effect of polyethylene particle chemistry on human monocyte-macrophage function in vitro. , 2000, Journal of biomedical materials research.

[14]  W H Harris,et al.  Production of cytokines around loosened cemented acetabular components. Analysis with immunohistochemical techniques and in situ hybridization. , 1993, The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume.

[15]  E Fernández-Caldas,et al.  Partial characterization of the silk allergens in mulberry silk extract. , 1996, Journal of investigational allergology & clinical immunology.

[16]  M B McCarthy,et al.  Functionalized silk-based biomaterials for bone formation. , 2001, Journal of biomedical materials research.

[17]  C M Wen,et al.  Silk-induced asthma in children: a report of 64 cases. , 1990, Annals of allergy.

[18]  Ivan Martin,et al.  Silk matrix for tissue engineered anterior cruciate ligaments. , 2002, Biomaterials.

[19]  R. Moy,et al.  Commonly used suture materials in skin surgery. , 1991, American family physician.

[20]  David L Kaplan,et al.  Silk-based biomaterials. , 2003, Biomaterials.

[21]  Q. Myrvik,et al.  Alveolar macrophage priming by intravenous administration of chitin particles, polymers of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, in mice , 1997, Infection and immunity.

[22]  D. Baker,et al.  In vivo inflammatory response to polymethylmethacrylate particulate debris: Effect of size, morphology, and surface area , 1994, Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.

[23]  G. Freddi,et al.  In vitro evaluation of the inflammatory potential of the silk fibroin. , 1999, Journal of biomedical materials research.

[24]  X Baur,et al.  Use of immunoblot technique for detection of human IgE and IgG antibodies to individual silk proteins. , 1985, The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology.

[25]  A. Pockley,et al.  Influence of soluble suture factors on in vitro macrophage function. , 1995, Biomaterials.

[26]  Allison L. Sieving,et al.  Inflammatory responses to orthopaedic biomaterials in the murine air pouch. , 2002, Biomaterials.

[27]  D. Howie,et al.  The response to particulate debris. , 1993, The Orthopedic clinics of North America.