Functionalized silk fibers from transgenic silkworms for wound healing applications: Surface presentation of bioactive epidermal growth factor

摘要

Abstract Growth factors play a crucial role in wound healing in general and are promising tools for the treatment of chronic wounds as they can restore the physiological wound healing process. In growth factor‐loaded wound dressings, human epidermal growth factor (EGF) is released in a burst and washed out quickly. The developed matrix consists of recombinant EGF produced in transgenic silkworms as a fusion protein with the fibroin light chain. The covalent linkage prevents EGF from draining into the surrounding tissue while presenting the growth factor on the surface. EGF‐functionalized silk membranes and nonwovens lead to a 2.5‐fold increase in the cell number of fibroblasts, while retaining full bioactivity even after e‐beam sterilization. EGF is long‐term presented without burst release and significantly reduces the wound area by 15% in an in vitro wound model. Hence, the cost‐effective production of a biomaterial using transgenic silkworm larvae in combination with a growth factor paves the way for a promising new multifactorial wound cover for chronic wound healing. ? 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 2643–2652, 2018.