The objective of this study is to evaluate the activity of gelatin hydrogels incorporating combined stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) on the in vivo bone regeneration at an ulna critical-sized defect and subcutaneous site of rats, and compared with that of those incorporating either SDF-1 or BMP-2. The similar release profile of SDF-1 and BMP-2 from the hydrogels was observed with or without the combination of BMP-2 and SDF-1, respectively. An enhanced bone regeneration by the hydrogels incorporating combined SDF-1 and BMP-2 was observed. In addition, the implantation of hydrogels incorporating combined SDF-1 and BMP-2 enhanced the expression level of CXC chemokine cell-surface receptor-4 (Cxcr4), Runt-related factor-2 (Runx2), and Osteocalcin genes. The experiments with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive Chimeric mice revealed that the recruitment of bone marrow-derived cells was promoted and a vascular-like structure together with strong accumulation of CD31- and CD34-positive cells was observed at the site of hydrogels incorporating combined SDF-1 and BMP-2 implanted. In addition, a large fraction of CD29- and CD44-positive non-hematopoietic cells was detected. It is concluded that the combined release of SDF-1 and BMP-2 enhanced the recruitment of osteogenic cells and angiogenesis, resulting in the synergistic effect on bone regeneration.
In this study, a ‘green chemistry’ approach was introduced to synthesize silk sericin (SS)-capped silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) under an alkaline condition (pH 11) using SS as a reducing and stabilizing agent instead of toxic chemicals. The SS-capped AgNPs were successfully synthesized at various concentrations of SS and AgNO3, but the yields were different. A higher yield of SS-capped AgNPs was obtained when the concentrations of SS and AgNO3 were increased. The SS-capped AgNPs showed a round shape and uniform size with diameter at around 48 to 117 nm. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy result proved that the carboxylate groups obtained from alkaline degradation of SS would be a reducing agent for the generation of AgNPs while COO− and NH2 + groups stabilized the AgNPs and prevented their precipitation or aggregation. Furthermore, the SS-capped AgNPs showed potent anti-bacterial activity against various gram-positive bacteria (minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) 0.008 mM) and gram-negative bacteria (MIC ranging from 0.001 to 0.004 mM). Therefore, the SS-capped AgNPs would be a safe candidate for anti-bacterial applications.
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