Objective: New therapies to prevent preterm birth are needed. Our objective was to study an injectable biomaterial for human cervical tissue as an alternative to cervical cerclage.
Study design: Human cervical tissue specimens were obtained from premenopausal gynecological hysterectomies for benign indications. A 3-part biomaterial was formulated, consisting of silk protein solution blended with a 2-part polyethylene glycol gelation system. The solutions were injected into cervical tissue and the tissue was evaluated for mechanical properties, swelling, cytocompatibility, and histology.
Results: The stiffness of cervical tissue more than doubled after injection (P = .02). Swelling properties of injected tissue were no different than native tissue controls. Cervical fibroblasts remained viable for at least 48 hours when cultured on the biomaterial.
Conclusions: We report a silk-based, biocompatible, injectable biomaterial that increased the stiffness of cervical tissue compared to uninjected controls. Animal studies are needed to assess this biomaterial in vivo.
Keywords: cerclage; cervix; injectable biomaterial; preterm birth; silk.