Effect of an artificial silk elastin-like protein on the migration and collagen production of mouse fibroblasts.

A silk elastin-like protein (SELP) is an artificial compound composing silk fibroin-like and elastin-like tandem repeats. The objective of this study is to evaluate the SELP effect on the migration, proliferation, and proteins production of L929 mouse fibroblasts. Upon culturing with different concentrations of SELP, the cells migration and their collagen production significantly enhanced in the SELP concentrations from 10(-3) to 10 μg/ml. However, irrespective of the SELP concentration, no difference in the production of fibronectin, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α) was observed. When the migration of mouse peritoneal macrophages by SELP was evaluated, significant enhancement of macrophages migration was observed in any concentration. It is concluded that the SELP has a potential to promote the migration of fibroblasts and macrophages, and the fibroblast collagen production.