Production and Characterization of Porous Fibroin Scaffolds for Regenerative Medical Application

Abstract

Background/Aim: Silk is a natural biomaterial with several superior features for applications in regenerative medicine. In the present study an optimized process for manufacturing porous scaffolds out of the silk protein fibroin was developed. Materials and Methods: The silk protein fibroin was dissolved in Ajisawa's reagent and the resulting fibroin solution was used to produce scaffolds by means of freeze-thawing cycling. Porosity, pressure and stab resistance as well as degradation behavior were assessed in order to characterize the physical properties of the resulting scaffolds. Results: The resulting sponge-like fibroin scaffolds were highly porous while the porosity correlated inversely with the concentration of the starting fibroin solution. Increased initial fibroin concentrations of the scaffolds resulted in increased compressive and cannulation resistance. The majority of the fibroin scaffolds were digested by 1 mg/ml protease XIV in 3 weeks, indicating their biodegradability. Conclusion: The production of scaffolds made of varying fibroin concentrations by means of freeze-thawing, following dissolution using Ajisawa's reagent, provides a simple and straightforward strategy for adjusting the physical and chemical properties of fibroin scaffolds for various medical applications.

Chemoprevention of Experimental Periodontitis in Diabetic Rats with Silk Fibroin Nanoparticles Loaded with Resveratrol

“…Silk fibroin itself has remarkable properties in regenerative medicine [15] and promoting wound healing [16], but, in addition, it has also been seen that in the form of nanoparticles, it has an excellent ability to store a drug inside, and serve as a vector for it [17][18][19][20]. The peptides that make up its structure have been shown to have a high therapeutic value both in the stimulation of glucose transport in adipocytes and in the stimulation of fibroblasts in wound healing (in both in vitro and in vivo studies), in addition to anti-inflammatory capacity, related to the decrease in levels of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), IL-6, and IL-1β among others [21].…”

Copper-Epigallocatechin Gallate Enhances Therapeutic Effects of 3D-Printed Dermal Scaffolds in Mitigating Diabetic Wound Scarring

“…Nonetheless, there are no significant variations between the groups. As indicated in Figure S2, the porosity ratio of the EM hydrogel diminishes with higher concentrations, which corresponds with previous research …”

“…As indicated in Figure S2, the porosity ratio of the EM hydrogel diminishes with higher concentrations, which corresponds with previous research. 34 The pore size of the hydrogel can impact its function in biomedical applications. 33,35 Wang et al 36 detected that the human ADM has a pore size of 131.2 ± 96.8 μm.…”

Thick‐Film Carbon Electrode Deposited onto a Biodegradable Fibroin Substrate for Biosensing Applications

“…[36] Casted silk-fibroin membranes represent a highly promising material for possible clinical applications due to their unique properties such as high flexibility, high mechanical strength, and biodegradation under physiological conditions. [29,37] The ability to process fibroin with various properties expands its use in, e.g., food industry and cosmetics. [38,39] Due to the versatility of fibroin, a new field in the fabrication of biosensors can be established.…”