Fabrication of nanofibrous scaffold using a PLA and hagfish thread keratin composite; its effect on cell adherence, growth, and osteoblast differentiation

Biomed Mater. 2013 Aug;8(4):045006. doi: 10.1088/1748-6041/8/4/045006. Epub 2013 Jun 4.

Abstract

Electrospinning is a useful method for the production of nanofibrous scaffolds in the field of tissue engineering. Keratin has been used as a biomaterial for electrospinning and can be used in a variety of biomedical applications because it is a natural protein, giving it the ability to improve cell affinity of scaffolds. In this study, keratin was extracted from hagfish slime thread (H-keratin) and blended with polylactic acid (PLA) polymer solution to construct a nanofibrous scaffold. Wool keratin (W-keratin) was used as a control for the comparison of morphological, physical, and biological properties. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the presence of both W-keratin and H-keratin in the electrospun PLA/keratin. Observations with a scanning electron microscope revealed that PLA, PLA/W-keratin, and PLA/H-keratin had similar average diameters (~800 nm). Cell attachment experiments showed that MG-63 cells adhered more rapidly and spread better onto PLA/H-keratin than onto the pure PLA or PLA/W-keratin. Cell proliferation assay, DNA content, live/dead, and alkaline phosphatase activity assays showed that PLA/H-keratin scaffolds could accelerate the viability, proliferation, and osteogenesis of MG-63 cells relative to pure PLA or PLA/W-keratin nanofibrous scaffolds. These findings suggest that H-keratin can improve cellular attraction and has great potential to be used as a biomaterial in bone tissue engineering.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Survival
  • DNA / chemistry
  • Hagfishes
  • Humans
  • Keratins / chemistry*
  • Lactic Acid / chemistry*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Nanofibers / chemistry*
  • Osteoblasts / cytology*
  • Osteogenesis / physiology*
  • Polyesters
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Tissue Engineering / methods
  • Tissue Scaffolds / chemistry
  • Wool
  • Wound Healing

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Polyesters
  • Polymers
  • Lactic Acid
  • poly(lactide)
  • Keratins
  • DNA