Spiders as healers and not horrors?! Some experts certainly seem to think so!

Spider silk can be used in brain implants, sutures, artificial skin, knee replacement, and nerve repair

Spiders are not exactly the first creatures that come to mind when one thinks of knee replacement or nerve repair. However, Professor Fritz Vollrath of Oxford University is conducting research on this immensely fascinating topic. Several Golden Orb Weavers have been placed in a greenhouse at the university, enjoying the artificially created lush foliage and tropical humidity, as they feast on a near-limitless swarm of their favourite flies. The German zoologist has begun to appreciate the arachnid’s abilities after working with them for nearly four decades now. Spiders weave liquid protein into their silk webs that are much stronger than steelwhen compared pound-to-pound, according to research. This process requires minimal energy, and a large number of spiders recycle by eating their own webs and reweaving them. The professor considers it his mission to use a spider’s natural ability to create silk implants that could revolutionise the field of regenerative medicine.

After conducting extensive research, Dr Vollrath learned that there are seven different types of silk with the strongest form being Dragline silk. He also found out that bulk manufacture of spider silk was impossible and he had to turn to silkworms through a process of boiling and rearing the worms. Dr Vollrath now leads the Silk Group at Oxfordand he has matched silkworm protein to that of spider dragline silk. This was then dissolved to extract the harmful glue and create a new, toughened material known as Spidrex. The success of the Silk Group inspired commercial interest from a number of pharmaceutical companies. Spidrex has been used to create artificial bone and also in sutures and dressings as well as knee replacements. The Group launched a second spin-off known as Orthoxthat deployed Spidrex to produce a malleable material for knee cartilage replacement and regenerative tissue support. The objective was to create an artificial implant that could be replaced with original cartilage after just five years.

A similar scaffold concept is being worked upon by another start-up Neurotex that is actively involved in the global nerve repair market. The Neurotex team hopes to apply this on the central nervous system and help the reversal of paralysis caused by debilitating spinal injuries. Silk implants can potentially support the regeneration of peripheral nerves. Neurotex is helped immensely by the knowledge of Professor John Priestley, the Neuroscience Head at Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry. Studies conducted by the professor have proven that Spidrex supports targeted nerve growth with minimal immune toxicity. There is a high possibility that the research should lead to the treatment of injured nerves that need the support of a scaffold to regrow. The ultimate goal is to repair nerve damage in the spinal cord, as the nerve there does not regrow naturally, making it a medical challenge that needs to be addressed urgently. Spidrex has the advantage of being biocompatible with the capacity to direct the movement of regenerating nerve cell processes and supporting Schwann cells.

New studies are being published on a daily basis exploring the potential of silk in the field of regenerative medicine. Global research teams are using innovative methods to publish new material such as using yeast to spin silkor even implanting the DNA of spiders into goats! It is now possible to use silk for a variety of grafts, scaffolds, sutures and biomedical implants. According to Professor Insup Noh, Biomaterials Research journal editor, silk could soon become commonplace in many medical treatments. Silk has already gained approval as a raw material in medicine and it has notable advantages when compared to other polymeric biomaterials. Dr Vollraths’ team is now analysing the utility of ultra-efficient spider web weaving in advanced manufacturing. Even after studying spider silk for 40 years, the zoologist remains convinced that he has only scratched the surface of what is possible with this nearly limitless gift of nature.