2. Chemical modifications of silk fibroin

The surface chemistry of a biomaterial can influence a wide range of cellular responses, from modification of the adhesion surface to activation of biochemical signaling pathways regulating proliferation, differentiation or survival. For example, the degree of hydrophobicity-hydrophilicity of a surface can modulate cell adhesion and proliferation, regulate integrin expression, and influence the adsorption of extracellular matrix proteins. The ability to modify the surface chemistry of a biomaterial can therefore enable the manufacture of a synthetic tissue with physico-chemical properties very close to those of the original tissue.