Silk contains an adhesive glycoprotein,
silk sericin, in which
silk fibroins can be enfolded and chemically stabilized. Silk sericin
is gaining importance as the material for the creation of functional
bioscaffolds. However, the assembly of silk sericin is generally limited
to the blend of polymers or proteins due to its inherent poor mechanical
strength. Here, we report a simple macroscopic controlled assembly
of silk sericin fibers based on their secondary structure via wet-spinning.
In addition, plasticization of silk sericin using glycerol immobilized
with glutaraldehyde was found to induce dimensional stability, affording
stable linear fibers with self-adhesion. Furthermore, cyclo-phenylalanine
nanowires were incorporated into the silk sericin dope for a practical
demonstration of their potential in artificial silk production with
superstructure formation. The physicochemical characteristics of the
spun fibers have also been elucidated using Fourier-transform infrared
spectroscopy, electron microscopy, tensile test, differential scanning
calorimetry, and 2D X-ray diffraction.
Loading and eluting drugs on self‐expandable metallic stents (SEMSs) can be challenging in terms of fabrication, mechanical stability, and therapeutic effects. In this study, a flexible 3D nanonetworked silica film (NSF) capable of withstanding mechanical stress during dynamic expansion is constructed to function as a drug delivery platform on an entire SEMS surface. Despite covering a broad curved area, the synthesized NSF is defect‐free and thin enough to increase the stent strut diameter (110 µm) by only 0.4 percent (110.45 µm). The hydrophobic modification of the surface enables loading of 4.7 times the sirolimus (SRL) concentration in NSF than Cypher, polymer‐coated commercial stent, which is based on the same thickness of coating layer. Furthermore, SRL‐loaded NSF exhibits a twofold delay in release compared to the control group without NSF. The SRL‐loaded NSF SEMS significantly suppresses stent‐induced tissue hyperplasia than the control SEMS in the rat esophagus (all variables, p < 0.05). Thus, the developed NSF is a promising polymer‐free drug delivery platform to efficiently treat esophageal stricture.
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