Recombinant spider silk fibroin protein produces a non-cytotoxic and non-inflammatory response

Abstract

Silk fibroin proteins serve as biomaterials for diverse applications. Previous studies have shown that silk fibroin proteins can be used in biomedical applications for treating diabetes. In the present study, we investigated the cytotoxicity and inflammatory response induced by spider silk fibroin protein in vitro. By using recombinant AvMaSp-R spider silk fibroin protein, which consists of the 240 amino acid repetitive domain of the spider (Araneus ventricosus) silk fibroin protein and was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells, we tested the cytotoxicity, apoptosis, macrophage stimulation, and release of proinflammatory mediators and cytokines in vitro. We found that recombinant AvMaSp-R was not cytotoxic and did not activate macrophages. Consequently, our results provide evidence that recombinant AvMaSp-R produces a non-cytotoxic and non-inflammatory response, suggesting that recombinant AvMaSp-R silk fibroin protein could be a biomaterial for biomedical applications.