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Tough Anisotropic Silk Nanofiber Hydrogels with Osteoinductive Capacity
Zhaozhao Ding1, Guozhong Lu2, Weinan Cheng3
1National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China.
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
|January 18, 2021
Summary
This study developed novel silk-based hydrogels combining aligned and cross-linked nanofibers. These advanced biomaterials promote stem cell differentiation and aggregation for enhanced bone tissue engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cell fate during tissue regeneration is influenced by physical cues like microstructure, topography, and stiffness.
- Integrating multiple physical cues into a single biomaterial presents a significant fabrication challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a synergistic cross-linking strategy for fabricating protein hydrogels with multiple physical cues.
- To create anisotropic hydrogels using a combination of beta-sheet-rich silk nanofibers (BSNFs) and amorphous silk nanofibers (ASNFs).
Main Methods:
- Composite nanofiber systems were formed by blending BSNFs and ASNFs.
- Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) cross-linking in an electric field was employed to create tough, anisotropic hydrogels.
- ASNFs were cross-linked by HRP, while BSNFs were aligned by the electric field.
Main Results:
- Anisotropic morphologies and a stiffness of 120 kPa were achieved in the fabricated hydrogels.
- The anisotropic hydrogels successfully induced osteogenic differentiation and aligned aggregation of stem cells in vitro.
- The hydrogels demonstrated osteoinductive capacity in vivo, leading to improved tissue outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The developed synergistic cross-linking strategy enables the fabrication of biomaterials with multiple, combined physical cues.
- These anisotropic silk-based hydrogels show significant potential for applications in bone tissue engineering due to their ability to guide cell behavior and promote tissue regeneration.
