AMSilk has reported that the silicone breast implants with a spider silk-based coating have been shown to reduce immune system-based side-effects in preclinical studies.
Comprising a thin layer of recombinant spider silk proteins, the BioShield-S1 coating is applied to a silicone implant after the final production step, just prior to packaging and sterilisation.
The preclinical tests were conducted jointly with the University of Bayreuth, Germany and University of Wuerzburg, Germany, department of trauma, hand, plastic and reconstructive surgery.
The first test, conducted in rats, has demonstrated that the coated silicone implants are accepted better by the body than implants without silk coating.
In addition, a follow-up one-year study has shown that the capsule formation around the implant differs significantly from controls, resulting in a thinner, more flexible and translucent capsule accompanied by a significant reduction in inflammation markers, according to the company.
The study has also found lower levels of some inflammation markers as well as fibroblast infiltration in patients from twelve months after surgery.
Study surgeon Dr Philip Zeplin said the new technology can be used for nearly all silicone-based products that are used in reconstructive and aesthetic surgeries.
The company said the coating, which does not alter the mechanical performance of the implant, will be tested for use in other surgical applications in the future.
