Oral Presentations: UC 326
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Monica Serban
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Silk fibroin, extracted from the cocoon of the silk worm Bombyx Mori, is a versatile protein polymer that is relatively easy to process into a variety of biomaterials including solutions, foams, and films. Silk has been used for years in medical applications due to its high strength, low cost, and biocompatibility. When processed into an aqueous solution and concentrated, silk fibroin has exhibited adhesive properties making it a desirable platform for the production of tissue adhesives. Currently, tissue adhesives are used in the medical field for a variety of surgical applications, including to aid hemostasis during surgeries and, in some cases, as replacements for suture and staple methods. Surgical separation of large tissue areas often leads to complications such as seroma, a build-up of fluid in a tissue or organ, which require placement of surgical drains. Complications such as this can cause additional visits to specialists, increase the cost of procedures, and introduce further risk of adverse effects. Biocompatible, strong, and cost-effective tissue adhesives that could approximate separated tissue surfaces and accelerate healing would have a significant impact on current surgical procedures by reducing the risk of seroma-associated infections, eliminate the use of surgical drains, and speeding up healing time. Due to the adhesive properties of silk solutions, the biodegradability of silk in vivo, and the biocompatibility of silk fibroin, silk-based biomaterials are being investigated as large surface tissue adhesives for biomedical applications.
Category
Physical Sciences
Silk Adhesives for Biomedical Application
UC 326
Silk fibroin, extracted from the cocoon of the silk worm Bombyx Mori, is a versatile protein polymer that is relatively easy to process into a variety of biomaterials including solutions, foams, and films. Silk has been used for years in medical applications due to its high strength, low cost, and biocompatibility. When processed into an aqueous solution and concentrated, silk fibroin has exhibited adhesive properties making it a desirable platform for the production of tissue adhesives. Currently, tissue adhesives are used in the medical field for a variety of surgical applications, including to aid hemostasis during surgeries and, in some cases, as replacements for suture and staple methods. Surgical separation of large tissue areas often leads to complications such as seroma, a build-up of fluid in a tissue or organ, which require placement of surgical drains. Complications such as this can cause additional visits to specialists, increase the cost of procedures, and introduce further risk of adverse effects. Biocompatible, strong, and cost-effective tissue adhesives that could approximate separated tissue surfaces and accelerate healing would have a significant impact on current surgical procedures by reducing the risk of seroma-associated infections, eliminate the use of surgical drains, and speeding up healing time. Due to the adhesive properties of silk solutions, the biodegradability of silk in vivo, and the biocompatibility of silk fibroin, silk-based biomaterials are being investigated as large surface tissue adhesives for biomedical applications.