Fabrication of protease XIV-loaded microspheres for cell spreading in silk fibroin hydrogels

Due to their excellent mechanical strength and biocompatibility, silk fibroin(SF) hydrogels can serve as ideal scaffolds. However, their slow rate of natural degradation limits the space available for cell proliferation, which hinders their application. In this study, litchi-like calcium carbonate@hydroxyapatite (CaCO₃@HA) porous microspheres loaded with proteases from Streptomyces griseus (XIV) were used as drug carriers to regulate the biodegradation rate of SF hydrogels. The results showed that litchi-like CaCO₃@HA microspheres with different phase compositions could be prepared by changing the hydrothermal reaction time. The CaCO₃@HA microspheres controlled the release of Ca ions, which was beneficial for the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The adsorption and release of protease XIV from the CaCO₃@HA microcarriers indicated that the loading and release amount can be controlled with the initial drug concentration. The weight loss test and SEM observation showed that the degradation of the fibroin hydrogel could be controlled by altering the amount of protease XIV-loaded CaCO₃@HA microspheres. A three-dimensional (3D) cell encapsulation experiment proved that incorporation of the SF hydrogel with protease XIV-loaded microspheres promoted cell dispersal and spreading, suggesting that the controlled release of protease XIV can regulate hydrogel degradation. SF hydrogels incorporated with protease XIV-loaded microspheres are suitable for cell growth and proliferation and are expected to serve as excellent bone tissue engineering scaffolds.