272
– the fi sh scale is thermostable with respect to both high and very low temperature;
– the orthogonally organized ventral side plates of collagenous fi bers embedded in
proteoglycans can be useful as scaffolds for tissue engineering as well as cell
culturing (Ravneet et al. 2009 );
– “Fish-scale collagen has […] the low probability of zoonotic infection,” (Takagi
and Kazuhiro 2007 ).
Keratoprostheses are examples of artifi cial corneas that are a promising alternative to obtaining tissue replacements for corneal transplantation. “Especially to
patients, who are blind due to corneal defects, artifi cial corneas could potentially
benefi t and the demand is increasing,” (Lin et al. 2010 ). Teleost fi sh scales have
been recently proposed as biological model for the development of biomaterials for
regeneration of the corneal stroma (Takagi and Kazuhiro 2007 ; Lin et al. 2010 )
(Fig. 6.7 ).
Both fi sh scale collagen (Nomura et al. 1996 ; Ikoma et al. 2003 ; Sastry et al.
2008 ; Ikoma and Tanaka 2012 ) and hydroxyapatite (Mondal et al. 2010 ) were
reported as biomimetic materials for biomedicine (see also Chap. 8 in this work).
Fig. 6.7 The image shows the distribution of corneal cells after 7 days of cultivation using acellular
fi sh scale scaffold (Adapted from Lin et al. 2010). The cells were correspondingly fi xed and stained
using Alexa Fluor 488-phalloidin (for visualization of F-actin, red ) and Hoechst 33342 (to detect
nuclei, green ) (Lin et al. 2010 ; Copyright (c) 2010, Lin et al. Reprinted with permission)
6 Fish Skin: From Clothing to Tissue Engineering
– the fi sh scale is thermostable with respect to both high and very low temperature;
– the orthogonally organized ventral side plates of collagenous fi bers embedded in
proteoglycans can be useful as scaffolds for tissue engineering as well as cell
culturing (Ravneet et al. 2009 );
– “Fish-scale collagen has […] the low probability of zoonotic infection,” (Takagi
and Kazuhiro 2007 ).
Keratoprostheses are examples of artifi cial corneas that are a promising alternative to obtaining tissue replacements for corneal transplantation. “Especially to
patients, who are blind due to corneal defects, artifi cial corneas could potentially
benefi t and the demand is increasing,” (Lin et al. 2010 ). Teleost fi sh scales have
been recently proposed as biological model for the development of biomaterials for
regeneration of the corneal stroma (Takagi and Kazuhiro 2007 ; Lin et al. 2010 )
(Fig. 6.7 ).
Both fi sh scale collagen (Nomura et al. 1996 ; Ikoma et al. 2003 ; Sastry et al.
2008 ; Ikoma and Tanaka 2012 ) and hydroxyapatite (Mondal et al. 2010 ) were
reported as biomimetic materials for biomedicine (see also Chap. 8 in this work).
Fig. 6.7 The image shows the distribution of corneal cells after 7 days of cultivation using acellular
fi sh scale scaffold (Adapted from Lin et al. 2010). The cells were correspondingly fi xed and stained
using Alexa Fluor 488-phalloidin (for visualization of F-actin, red ) and Hoechst 33342 (to detect
nuclei, green ) (Lin et al. 2010 ; Copyright (c) 2010, Lin et al. Reprinted with permission)
6 Fish Skin: From Clothing to Tissue Engineering