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Enhancing surface properties of breast implants by using electrospun silk fibroin
Author(s) -
Valencia–Lazcano A. A.,
Román–Doval R.,
De La Cruz–Burelo E.,
Millán–Casarrubias E. J.,
Rodríguez–Ortega A.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part b: applied biomaterials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1552-4981
pISSN - 1552-4973
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.b.33973
Subject(s) - fibroin , biocompatibility , materials science , coating , electrospinning , composite material , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , biomaterial , biomedical engineering , silk , polymer , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , medicine , metallurgy , engineering
In the present study, a new electrospun silk fibroin coating of silicone breast implants with improved biocompatibility and mechanical properties was obtained. Fibrous scaffolds were produced by electrospinning a solution containing silk fibroin, derived from Bombyx mori cocoons, and polyethylene oxide (PEO) to be used as a coating of breast implants. A randomly oriented structure of fibroin/PEO was electrospun on implants as assessed by SEM analysis, roughness measurements and ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy. The scaffold showed 0.25 µm diameter fibres, 0.76 µm size superficial pores, arithmetic roughness of 0.632 ± 0.12 µm and texture aspect ratio of 0.893 ± 0.04. ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy demonstrates the presence of PEO and fibroin in the coating. The mechanical characterisation of the implants before and after being coated with fibroin/PEO demonstrated that the fibroin/PEO scaffold contributes to the increase in the elastic modulus from 0.392 ± 0.02 to 0.560 ± 0.03 MPa and to a more elastic behaviour of the breast implants. Using the fibroin/PEO coating, human fibroblasts seeded on this matrix increased viability up to 30% compared to conventional breast implants. Electrospun silk fibroin could represent a clinically compatible, viable form to coat breast implants. Low cytotoxicity by the fibroin coating and its physico‐chemical and mechanical properties may find application in improving breast implants biocompatibility. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 1655–1661, 2018.