Squid suckerin-spider silk fusion protein hydrogel for stem cell-secretome delivery in chronic wounds

• Main Authors: Koh, Kenrick, Wang, Jun Kit, Gabryelczyk, Bartosz, Tay, Dalton, Tan, Nguan Soon, Miserez, Ali
• Other Authors: Interdisciplinary Graduate School (IGS)
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Science::Biological sciences; Engineering::Materials; Squid Suckerin; Protein Hydrogel
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/155216; https://www.mrs.org/meetings-events/spring-meetings-exhibits/2022-mrs-spring-meeting/symposium-sessions
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The squid sucker ring teeth, used in tandem with the suckers on the squid’s tentacles to capture prey, is comprised of mainly suckerin, a protein material. Squid suckerin is a promising biopolymer for wound dressings due to its biocompatibility, antibacterial properties, and its ability to form gels/films of varying mechanical properties. However, issues such as low recombinant solubility and the requirement of harsh photochemical means for gel/film formation hinders suckerin’s suitability for encapsulation and delivery of stem cell-secretome, which is a bioactive yet sensitive therapeutic shown to overcome persistent wound inflammation and accelerate wound healing. Via bioinspired design, we developed a novel squid suckerin-spider silk fusion protein hydrogel, where the fusion of key spider silk sequences conferred high solubility and heat-induced gelation properties that enabled encapsulation of secretome without denaturation. The protein hydrogel is capable of long-term delivery of secretome via protein-protein interaction. Additionally, due to its modular design, we incorporated cell adhesion peptides to promote biocompatibility of the hydrogel. In our results, we demonstrate the secretome-loaded hydrogel potential for clinical use via accelerated healing of excisional chronic wounds in vivo.