Development of artificial dermis using 3D electrospun silk fibroin nanofiber matrix

Several auto- or alloplastic dermal substitutes have been used for full thickness skin defects. However, there is no ideal dermal substitute that is biocompatible and offers adequate mechanical properties and sufficient thickness and volume. Silk fibroin can be considered a possible alternative material for the construction of dermal substitutes. Nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning silk fibroin were considered an excellent candidate due to their desirable biocompatibility. However, it is generally difficult for cells to infiltrate the electrospun silk fibroin due to its small pore size. To overcome this challenge, a key parameter is the control of the pore size of silk fibroin electrospun such that cells can easily infiltrate into the nanofibers and proliferate internally. In this work, a novel approach is introduced by dropping two different size NaCl crystals above the rotating collector, which become incorporated into the nanofibers. The structures and properties of the, resulting electrospun silk fibroin were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and its wound healing effect for a full thickness skin defect was compared with Matriderm. Although the dermal regenerative effect of the 3D-SF (3D electrospun silk fibroin nanofiber matrix) was similar to that of Matriderm, the 3D-SF was almost completely degraded and did not induce wound contracture like Matriderm. We suggest that 3D-SF can be applied to the treatment of full thickness skin defects.