Peptide-Functionalized Silk Fibers as a Platform to Stabilize Gelatin for Use in Ingestible Devices
Luca Valentini,
Lorenzo Pacini,
Fosca Errante,
Cecilia Morchio,
Beatrice Sanna,
Paolo Rovero,
Antonino Morabito
Affiliations
Luca Valentini
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Perugia, Strada di Pentima 4, 05100 Terni, Italy
Lorenzo Pacini
Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, 59100 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Fosca Errante
Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Cecilia Morchio
Dipartimento Neuroscienze, Psicologia, Area del Farmaco e della Salute del Bambino NEUROFARBA, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50121 Firenze, Italy
Beatrice Sanna
Dipartimento Neuroscienze, Psicologia, Area del Farmaco e della Salute del Bambino NEUROFARBA, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50121 Firenze, Italy
Paolo Rovero
Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Antonino Morabito
Dipartimento Neuroscienze, Psicologia, Area del Farmaco e della Salute del Bambino NEUROFARBA, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50121 Firenze, Italy
The combination of pharmacologic and endoscopic therapies is the gold standard for treating intestinal failures. The possibility of chemical solubility in water is mandatory for intelligent capsules. Functionalised silk fibroin with peptides and covalently linking different molecular entities to its structure make this protein a platform for preparing gels dissolving in the small and large intestine for drug delivery. In the present study, we linked a peptide containing the cell-adhesive motif Arginine–Glycine–Aspartic acid (RGD) to degummed silk fibres (DSF). Regenerated silk fibroin (RS) films obtained by dissolving functionalised DSF in formic acid were used to prepare composite gelatin. We show that such composite gelatin remains stable and elastic in the simulated gastric fluid (SGF) but can dissolve in the small and large intestines’ neutral-pH simulated intestine fluid (SIF). These findings open up the possibility of designing microfabricated and physically programmable scaffolds that locally promote tissue regeneration, thanks to bio-enabled materials based on functionalised regenerated silk.
