Biosilk 521 is a natural biomaterial made of recombinant spider silk protein, functionalized with human recombinant laminin 521 protein (Biolaminin 521), designed for 3D cell culture. Laminin 521 is a key cell adhesion protein of the natural stem cell niche, providing the Biosilk 521 material with unique, functional properties that are ideal for integration, proliferation and subsequent lineage-specific differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells in a 3D format.
A NATURAL BIOMATERIAL DESIGNED FOR 3D CELL CULTURE OF HUMAN PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS
Biosilk 521 is a natural biomaterial made of recombinant spider silk protein, functionalized with human recombinant laminin 521 protein (Biolaminin 521), designed for 3D cell culture. Laminin 521 is a key cell adhesion protein of the natural stem cell niche, providing the Biosilk 521 material with unique, functional properties that are ideal for integration, proliferation and subsequent lineage-specific differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells in a 3D format.
Biosilk 521 is a biocompatible, biodegradable and non-immunogenic biomaterial, which facilitates the use in clinical applications. The extendable Biosilk 521 macrofibre material can self-assemble into several formats; foams, fiber bundles, and thin films.
A MORE BIOLOGICALLY RELEVANT CULTURE ENVIRONMENT
Compared to 2D cultures, a 3D culture is a more biologically relevant culture environment with a higher degree of architectural complexity that retains homeostasis for longer.
Contrary to many other 3D scaffolds, the cells can be added to the Biosilk 521 solution before the network stabilizes, resulting in a uniform integration of the cells between the microfibers. Unlike cells cultured in a hydrogel, cells seeded in the Biosilk scaffold attach along the microfibers and are in contact with other cells like in tissue. Moreover, the cells proliferate more efficiently and migrate in the Biosilk 521 scaffold and have full and even access to both the medium, matrix, and neighboring cells, compared to when encapsulated in a hydrogel.
