Journal: ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
Article Title: Fibrillar Nanomembranes of Recombinant Spider Silk Protein Support Cell Co-culture in an In Vitro Blood Vessel Wall Model
doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00612
Figure Lengend Snippet: Overview of the procedure for the preparation of and cell seeding on silk membranes. Day −1: a solution of FN-4RepCT silk protein diluted in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) is placed in an open well where the protein self-assembles into a membrane at the air–liquid interface overnight. Day 0: a holder is lowered onto the membrane, which adheres to the holder over 2 h. The holder with the membrane is lifted from the interface and placed in endothelial cell growth medium, and human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMEC) are seeded on the apical side of the membrane. Day 4: the holder is reversed, smooth muscle cells (SMC) are seeded on the basolateral side of the membrane, and allowed to adhere for 30 min, after which the holder is placed in SMC growth medium and filled with endothelial cell growth medium. Day 7: HDMEC have established a confluent monolayer on the apical side, and SMC have produced a thick ECM on the basolateral side of the silk membrane. Drawing is not in scale. FN-4RepCT silk: 4RepCT silk protein functionalized with the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-containing cell-binding motif from fibronectin.
Article Snippet: Primary human SMC isolated from coronary artery (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) were cultured and expanded in complete SMC growth medium (Gibco, Waltham, MA, USA) supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum and 1% penicillin–streptomycin.
Techniques: Saline, Membrane, Produced, Binding Assay