Silk fibroin micro-particle scaffolds with superior compression modulus and slow bioresorption for effective bone regeneration.

ABSTRACT: Silk fibroin (SF), a natural polymer produced by Bombyx mori silkworms, has been extensively explored to prepare porous scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. Here, we demonstrate, a scaffold made of SF, which exhibits compression modulus comparable to natural cancellous bone while retaining the appropriate porosities and interconnected pore architecture. The scaffolds also exhibit high resistance to in-vitro proteolytic degradation due to the dominant beta sheet conformation of the SF protein. Additionally, the scaffolds are prepared using a simple method of microparticle aggregation. We also demonstrate, for the first time, a method to prepare SF micro-particles using a Hexafluoroisopropanol-Methanol solvent-coagulant combination. SF microparticles obtained using this method are

SUBMITTER: Nisal A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5940924 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature