2018
Injectable Silk Protein Microparticle-based Fillers: A Novel Material for Potential Use in Glottic Insufficiency
The authors report a novel, silk protein-based injectable filler. This formulation was engineered with the intention of vocal cord injection augmentation. This injectable filler leverages the unique properties of silk protein's superior biocompatibility, mechanical tunability, and predictable degradation. The initial formulation and mechanical properties are discussed.
2017
The Retro-Rectus Prosthesis for Core Myofascial Restoration in Cosmetic Abdominoplasty
The authors report the retro-rectus placement of a prosthesis (SERI Surgical Scaffold) for reinforcement of a hernia repair. They demonstrate the long-term efficacy of the restoration of the cylindrical lumbar abdominal myofascial complex in six patients as an adjunct to cosmetic abdominoplasty.
2016
In vivo characterization of the integration and vascularization of a silk-derived surgical scaffold
The authors present an in vivo investigation in a small animal model of the integration of the knitted, silk-derived surgical scaffold, SERI® with regard to angiogenesis and wound healing. Their conclusion is that SERI® displays the potential to be a promising resorbable bioengineered material for use in reconstructive surgery.
2015
The development of SERI® Surgical Scaffold, an engineered biological scaffold
In this review, the authors summarize the basic science, clinical characteristics, and clinical applications of SERI Surgical Scaffold, a novel, engineered, highly purified silk product for soft tissue support and repair.
Lyophilized Silk Sponges: A Versatile Biomaterial Platform for Soft Tissue Engineering
The authors present the preparation and characterization of a novel lyophilized silk sponge with highly tunable mechanical and degradation properties for engineering and regeneration of soft tissues such as, skin, adipose, and neural tissue, with elasticity properties in the kilopascal range. They report that the lyophilized silk sponges supported the adhesion of mesenchymal stem cells throughout 3D scaffolds, cell proliferation in vitro, and cell infiltration and scaffold remodeling when implanted subcutaneously in vivo.
Clinical Applications of Naturally Derived Biopolymer-Based Scaffolds for Regenerative Medicine
This review highlights biopolymer-based scaffolds used in clinical applications for the regeneration and repair of native tissues, with a focus on bone, skeletal muscle, peripheral nerve, cardiac muscle, and cornea substitutes.
2014
Clinical Application of a Silk Fibroin Protein Biologic Scaffold for Abdominal Wall Fascial Reinforcement
The authors describe the clinical evaluation of SERI Surgical Scaffold for fascial reinforcement in abdominal wall repair with a mean follow-up of 18 months in 77 patients (ventral hernia repair, abdominoplasty and reinforcement of an abdominal-based flap donor site).
Equine Model for Soft Tissue Regeneration
Silk porous biomaterials were evaluated in an equine model over six months to evaluate the feasibility of these biomaterials for soft tissue regeneration. Implant degradation and tissue regeneration was monitored using ultrasound. Silk porous sponges prepared through a variety of methods were evaluated.
Injectable Silk Foams for Soft Tissue Regeneration
The authors demonstrate the feasibility of an injectable silk foam for soft tissue regeneration. They show that adipose-derived stem cells survive and migrate through the foam over a 10-d period in vitro. The silk foams were also successfully injected into the subcutaneous space in a rat and over a 3-month period integrating with the surrounding native tissue. The foams readily absorb lipoaspirate making the foams useful as a scaffold or template for existing soft tissue filler technologies, useful either as a biomaterial alone or in combination with the lipoaspirate.
2013
Sustained volume retention in vivo with adipocyte and lipoaspirate seeded silk scaffolds
Current approaches to soft tissue regeneration include the use of fat grafts, natural or synthetic biomaterials as filler materials. Fat grafts and natural biomaterials resorb too quickly to maintain tissue regeneration, while synthetic materials do not degrade or regenerate tissue. Here, the authors present a simple approach to volume stable filling of soft tissue defects. In this study, they combined lipoaspirate with a silk protein matrix in a subcutaneous rat model. They selected a porous sponge format to allow for tissue ingrowth while remaining mechanically robust. Over an 18 month period, the lipoaspirate seeded silk protein matrix regenerated subcutaneous adipose tissue while maintaining the original implanted volume.
