Spider silk is an exceptional biomaterial exhibiting excellent biocompatibility, low immuno-reactivity [1], microbial repellence [2], and remarkable mechanical properties [3]. Thus, it holds great potential for biomedical applications. The recombinant spider silk protein eADF4(C16) has been shown to be suitable for tissue engineering [4,5], i.e., for bioink development or 3D scaffold generation. In this study, eADF4(C16) and eADF4(C16)-RGD, a cell-adhesion peptide-functionalized variant, were fabricated into porous foams representing the dermal skin layer and non-wovens resembling the basement membrane. Good cyto-compatibility, cell adhesion and proliferation was demonstrated.

References
[1] S. Salehi; K. Koeck; T. Scheibel, Molecules, 2020, 25 (3).

[2] S. Kumari; G. Lang; E. DeSimone; C. Spengler; V. T. Trossmann; S. Lücker; M. Hudel; K. Jacobs; N. Krämer; T. Scheibel, Materials Today, 2020, 41, 21–33.

[3] J. M. Gosline; P. A. Guerette; C. S. Ortlepp; K. N. Savage, Journal of Experimental Biology, 1999, 202 (23), 3295–3303.

[4] T. U. Esser; V. T. Trossmann; S. Lentz; F. B. Engel; T. Scheibel, Materials Today Bio, 2021, 11, 100114.

[5] X. J. Ng; T. U. Esser; V. T. Trossmann; C. Rudisch; M. Fiedler; K. Roshanbinfar; Z. Lamberger; P. Stahlhut; G. Lang; T. Scheibel; F. B. Engel, Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2025, 14 (12), e2500311.