According to a study published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, collagen-keratin (CK) composites have drawn interest for the purpose of biomedical applications thanks to the biocompatibility and biodegradability of these two proteins.
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Here, the authors explored the influence of keratin on collagen self-assembly, and the effects of varying concentrations of keratin nanoparticles (KNPs) on the fibrillogenesis of collagen. KNPs dose-dependently interacted with collagen I and appeared to influence the hydrogen bonding interaction in collagen molecules.
Furthermore, the introduction of KNPs did not interrupt collagen self-assembly. CK composites also showed a better cellular affinity compared with the collagen. As such, the authors propose these composites as candidates for biomedical applications.
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