FN-silk as a mimic of the extracellular matrix for the construction of physiologically relevant tissue models
- Date: 12 December 2024, 15:00–16:00
- Location: Ångström Laboratory, Å2001
- Type: Seminar
- Lecturer: My Hedhammar
- Web page
- Organiser: the Division of Biomedical Engineering and The Medtech Science & Innovation Centre (MTSI)
- Contact person: Maria Tenje
For drug development, there is a need for physiologically relevant tissue models, where the cells are arranged with in vivo-like morphology, in a supporting matrix that allows cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, and communication.
When recombinant spider silk proteins are exposed to interfaces, they self-assemble into strong and elastic fibrillar structures. The FN-silk protein, functionalized with a fibronectin-derived RGD motif, forms fibrillar structures that favor integrin-mediated cell adhesion.
We have developed reproducible methods to form two different fibrillar formats of FN-silk; 3D networks, which mimic the fibrillar extracellular matrix (ECM), and thin membranes, which mimic the basement membrane. These two FN-silk formats can be used, alone or combined, to support the culture of various cell types to grow into in vitro models of different tissues. Together with collaborators, we have shown successful models of full-thickness skin, lung alveolar, intestine, blood vessels, pancreatic islets, and various cancer tumors. We observe physiologically relevant cell morphologies in all cases, with established cell contacts, rearrangements, polarization, and endogenous ECM production.