Projects, Medical

A temporary scaffold for permanent biological repair

We are developing a fully resorbable ACL scaffold from natural spider silk, designed to provide mechanical support while new ligament tissue forms and progressively replaces the scaffold.

Medical Programme

ACL regeneration

The clinical problem. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are among the most common serious knee injuries. Current reconstruction typically uses a patient’s own tendon or donor tissue, while synthetic grafts offer an alternative. Each approach has limitations, including donor-site morbidity, integration, and long-term performance.

Why spider silk. Natural spider silk combines exceptional mechanical performance with biological compatibility. Its strength, toughness, and fibrous structure make it an intriguing material for developing new approaches to ligament regeneration.

Diagram of the knee showing the anterior cruciate ligament, and an embroidered scaffold divided into three functional zones — Functional zones of the ACL: 1 bone, 2 cartilage, 3 ligament. Image: Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF).

Close-up of a 24-ply natural spider silk thread — Close-up of the 24-ply natural spider silk thread used as the scaffold’s raw material.

The scaffold concept

Machine-embroidered natural spider silk. The silk is embroidered into a structured scaffold designed for ACL regeneration. The textile architecture allows the fibres to be arranged in defined patterns and orientations while maintaining the properties of the natural silk.

Where the research stands

The programme is currently in the feasibility stage, with work focused on scaffold design, machine embroidery, and mechanical characterisation. The next stage is preclinical evaluation, including in vivo testing.

Machine embroidery patterns: basic stitch elasticity, anisotropic meshes with reinforcing patterns, and an embroidered mesh — Machine-embroidery architecture: stitch geometry sets elasticity, and reinforcing patterns give the mesh direction-dependent strength. Image: Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF).

Four embroidered silk scaffold types shown from the upper side, bottom side and in side view — Embroidered silk scaffold types: (A) untreated silk, (B) purified (p‑)silk, (C) untreated silk/P(LA‑CL), (D) purified silk/P(LA‑CL). P(LA‑CL): poly L‑lactic acid‑co‑caprolactone. Silkworm silk, not spider silk — prior work by programme collaborators. Majeed Y, Gögele C, Elschner C, Werner C, Braun T, Hahn J, Bernhardt R, Krause U, Minnich B, Schulze‑Tanzil G. Embroidered Silk Fibroin Scaffolds for ACL Tissue Engineering. *Int J Mol Sci.* 2025 Dec 22;27(1):137. doi:10.3390/ijms27010137.

Research Collaboration

The people behind the programme

The ACL programme brings together researchers with expertise spanning regenerative medicine, biomaterials, polymer science, and orthopaedic tissue engineering.

Dr. Gundula Schulze-Tanzil

Orthopaedic & Ligament Research

Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg, Germany

A researcher specialising in musculoskeletal biology, ligament research, and tissue regeneration. Her work includes the investigation of biomaterials and tissue engineering approaches for orthopaedic applications.

Dr. Cindy Elschner

Polymer Materials & Scaffold Engineering

Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Germany

Works in polymer materials research and the development of advanced fibre and scaffold systems. Her research contributes expertise in material processing and the fabrication of structured biomaterials for tissue engineering.

Dr. Nupur Kohli

Biomaterials & Regenerative Medicine

Khalifa University, UAE

A biomedical engineer and researcher working in biomaterials, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Her research focuses on developing biomaterial systems that support tissue repair and their translation toward clinical applications.

A multidisciplinary programme. Together, the researchers bring complementary expertise across natural silk, biomaterials, polymer science, textile engineering, and orthopaedic research, connecting material development with biological evaluation and future preclinical studies.

Development Pipeline

Where the programme sits

Feasibility

Scaffold design & mechanical validation

Preclinical

In vivo testing & safety

Regulatory

Submission & review

Clinical

First-in-human study

Current stage: feasibility

Our medical programmes are developed through peer-reviewed research, transparent reporting, and rigorous evaluation at every stage. We publish our findings as the evidence develops.

Methodology

We are committed to transparent, peer-reviewed science, rigorous data integrity, honest reporting of stage and limitation, and publication of results as the programmes mature.

Research Collaboration

Interested in collaborating on our research?

We welcome academic, clinical, and industry partners interested in advancing natural spider silk for regenerative medicine.

Contact our science team