Nonmulberry Silk Braids Direct Terminal Osteocytic Differentiation through Activation of Wnt-Signaling.

Silk polymers can regulate osteogenesis by mimicking some features of the extracellular matrix of bone and facilitate mineralized deposition on their surface by cultured osteoprogenitors. However, terminal differentiation of these mineralizing osteoblasts into osteocytic phenotypes has not yet been demonstrated on silk. Therefore, in this study we test the hypothesis that flat braids of natively (nonregenerated) spun nonmulberry silk , possessing mechanical stiffness in the range of trabecular bone, can regulate osteocyte differentiation within their 3D microenvironment.