Recent Developments of Silk-Based Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Applications: A Special Focus on the Advancement of 3D Printing

Abstract

Regenerative medicine has received potential attention around the globe, with improving cell performances, one of the necessary ideas for the advancements of regenerative medicine. It is crucial to enhance cell performances in the physiological system for drug release studies because the variation in cell environments between in vitro and in vivo develops a loop in drug estimation. On the other hand, tissue engineering is a potential path to integrate cells with scaffold biomaterials and produce growth factors to regenerate organs. Scaffold biomaterials are a prototype for tissue production and perform vital functions in tissue engineering. Silk fibroin is a natural fibrous polymer with significant usage in regenerative medicine because of the growing interest in leftovers for silk biomaterials in tissue engineering. Among various natural biopolymer-based biomaterials, silk fibroin-based biomaterials have attracted significant attention due to their outstanding mechanical properties, biocompatibility, hemocompatibility, and biodegradability for regenerative medicine and scaffold applications. This review article focused on highlighting the recent advancements of 3D printing in silk fibroin scaffold technologies for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

Fabrication of Silk Fibroin‐Derived Fibrous Scaffold for Biomedical Frontiers

“…[90] Among these methods, inkjet, photocuring, and extrusion-based bioprinting techniques are commonly used in SF-based scaffolding production (Figure 5). [89] The fabrication parameters for SF-based fibrous scaffolds through 3D bioprinting entail a precise set of conditions to ensure structural integrity and biocompatibility. The first step involves the preparation of an SF solution, typically achieved by dissolving SF in a suitable solvent, such as aqueous LiBr.…”

“…SF, as a potential bio‐ink, has been a subject of extensive research, especially in tissue engineering, including applications in bone, cartilage, neural, and skin tissue regeneration. [ 89 ] Additive printing has seven principal methods described by ASTM standard (ISO/ASTM 52900:2021). [ 90 ] Among these methods, inkjet, photocuring, and extrusion‐based bioprinting techniques are commonly used in SF‐based scaffolding production ( Figure ).…”

Vascularized adipose tissue engineering: moving towards soft tissue reconstruction

“…The authors noted that the silk scaffolds provided better soft tissue structural integrity compared to collagen or PLA scaffold controls [214]. However, a downside for the translational properties of silk fibroin are the instability and the high cost of the raw source material [215].…”

Revolutionizing Disease Modeling: The Emergence of Organoids in Cellular Systems

“…Tissue-engineered constructs are artificial structures that are created using cells and biomaterials and can be used for tissue engineering applications. Scaffolds are 3D structures that provide support for cells to grow and differentiate, and can be used for tissue engineering, drug screening, and regenerative medicine applications [ 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 ]. In summary, while organoids, spheroids, and other 3D structures have some similarities, they can be distinguished by their cellular organization, complexity, and functional specialization.…”