No problem with spider silk for medical application
17 Oct '06
3 min read
A possible $1.5 million National Institutes of Health grant would examine placing spider silk in a body for use as a scaffolding matrix for growth of a new ligament as opposed to growing a ligament in a biobath using silkworm silk. A researcher discovered that cells used to rejuvenate ligaments act differently when stretched and relaxed.
Silkworm silk is not flexible, Lewis says. No such problem with spider silk.
"The implication is that we could do this in the body and not has to do it outside," says Lewis. "If they use silkworm silk, they have to make the ligament work to the point it can be implanted as the silk is too weak and has no elasticity to function as the ligament replacement."
"With our silk, we would just start the process and then implant the ligament. The natural motion of the silk ligament would provide the stimulus for the cells to fill in and generate the new 'natural' ligament."
The spider silk research has drawn scientists to UW. Lewis says more than three postdoctoral students have come to UW from larger institutions to conduct research, and five graduate students have contacted him prior to applying to graduate school to ensure there would be positions. He has seven undergraduates working fulltime this summer.
marketing@alchempro.com
