Structural Mimetic Silk Fiber-Reinforced Composite Scaffolds Using Multi-Angle Fibers

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Silk fibroin is a promising natural polymer for biomedical applications.
• Developing advanced scaffolds with tailored mechanical properties is crucial for tissue regeneration.
• Optimizing scaffold architecture can enhance integration with host tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize novel silk fibroin scaffolds reinforced with multi-angle silk fibers.
• To evaluate the impact of fiber orientation on scaffold mechanical properties and biocompatibility.
• To explore the potential of these scaffolds for tissue repair applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of silk scaffolds with silk fibers layered at 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°.
• Coating scaffolds with a 6 wt% silk solution containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS).
• Characterization of morphology, mechanical properties (tensile, burst), structure (FT-IR, XRD), and cell compatibility (human fibroblast cell line HS-865-SK).

Main Results:

• Scaffolds with a 30° fiber overlapping angle demonstrated superior mechanical performance (18 MPa tensile strength).
• Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) revealed no significant impact on secondary structure or crystallization.
• Human fibroblast cell attachment and growth confirmed good biocompatibility of the reinforced scaffolds.

Conclusions:

• Multi-angle silk fiber reinforcement significantly enhances scaffold mechanical properties.
• The 30° layered structure provides optimal mechanical strength and good cell compatibility.
• These silk-based scaffolds hold potential for tissue repair requiring high mechanical strength and biocompatibility.