COMPOSITE CONSISTING OF SILICONE RUBBER AND SILK PROTEIN AND PREPARATION THEREOF

摘要

PURPOSE:To provide excellent adhesion/propagation properties of a cell and to make the utilization in a medical field possible by forming a medical member from a composite prepared by coating the surface of silicone rubber with silk protein. CONSTITUTION:A medical member can be prepared by immersing silicone rubber in a silk protein aqueous solution and drying the coated silicone rubber. However, since the silk protein applied onto the surface of the silicone rubber is amorphous as it is, the degree of crystallization of silk protein may be increased by treating the coated silicone rubber with a solvent such as ethanol or methanol having action crystallizing silk protein. Silk protein used as a raw material is silk fibroin and one originated from a domesticated silkworm or wild silkworm may be used. As the silk protein aqueous solution, liquid silk protein taken out from the silk gland in a matured silkworm body can be used and a regenerated silk protein solution prepared by dissolving emitted yarn fibers or raw silk in a thick neutral salt solution may be used.