Severe Immediate Reactions to Biologicals Caused by Silk Allergy

Brown, Spencer F.

doi:10.1001/jama.1957.02980350036008

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 3 publications

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“…In some early reports on human allergic sensitivity to silk (Clarke and Meyer 1923; Figley and Parkhurst 1933), sericin was indeed suggested as a cause, but only because its solubility in water. Most of the studies published at the same time or later (Taub 1930; Friedman et al 1957; Brown and Coleman 1957; Kino and Oshima 1979; Häcki et al 1982; Johansson et al 1985; Harindranath et al 1985; Nakazawa and Umegae 1990; Suzuki et al 1995; Celedón et al 2001) could not confirm this suggestion. Other investigators also have initially proposed sericin as a pathogen (Zhaoming et al 1990) only to play down later this assertion (Zhaoming et al 1996).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Evaluation of silk sericin as a biomaterial: in vitro growth of human corneal limbal epithelial cells on Bombyx mori sericin membranes

et al. 2013

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Sericin and fibroin are the two major proteins in the silk fibre produced by the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori. Fibroin has been extensively investigated as a biomaterial. We have previously shown that fibroin can function successfully as a substratum for growing cells of the eye. Sericin has been so far neglected as a biomaterial because of suspected allergenic activity. However, this misconception has now been dispelled, and sericin’s biocompatibility is currently indisputable. Aiming at promoting sericin as a possible substratum for the growth of corneal cells in order to make tissue-engineered constructs for the restoration of the ocular surface, in this study we investigated the attachment and growth in vitro of human corneal limbal epithelial cells (HLECs) on sericin-based membranes. Sericin was isolated and regenerated from the silkworm cocoons by an aqueous procedure, manufactured into membranes, and characterized (mechanical properties, structural analysis, contact angles). Primary cell cultures from two donors were established in serum-supplemented media in the presence of murine feeder cells. Membranes made of sericin and fibroin-sericin blends were assessed in vitro as substrata for HLECs in a serum-free medium, in a cell attachment assay and in a 3-day cell growth experiment. While the mechanical characteristics of sericin were found to be inferior to those of fibroin, its ability to enhance the attachment of HLECs was significantly superior to fibroin, as revealed by the PicoGreen® assay. Evidence was also obtained that cells can grow and differentiate on these substrata.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2194-0517-2-14) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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