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Abstract: Patterned silk
protein films possess desirable characteristics for corneal tissue engineering,
including optical transparency, biocompatibility, and tunable mechanical properties, but
current fabrication protocols do not provide adequate degradation rates to match the
regeneration properties of the human cornea. In this study, the beta-sheet (crystalline)
content of silk films was ... read moredecreased significantly by using short time water annealing to
generate lowest possible silk crystallinity (17-18 % beta-sheet content) that also
allows film stability in aqueous environments. Additionally, a protocol combining short
time water annealing and enzymatic pretreatment of silk films with protease XIV was
developed to allow faster degradation of silk films in the presence of human corneal
fibroblasts in vitro. The results demonstrated a direct relationship between reduced
â-sheet content and enzymatic pretreatment, and overall degradation of the films,
providing new approaches to modulate the degradation time of silk corneal stroma
substitute to corneal tissue regeneration time in
vivo.
Thesis (M.S.)--Tufts University,
2012.
Submitted to the Dept. of Biomedical
Engineering.
Advisor: David
Kaplan.
Committee: David Kaplan, Qiaobing Xu, and
Kyongbum Lee.
Keyword: Biomedical
engineering.read less
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