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Methacrylated Silk Fibroin Hydrogels: pH as a Tool to Control Functionality.

Inês A Barroso¹, Kenny Man¹, Victor M Villapun¹

¹School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, Birmingham, U.K.

ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering

|September 29, 2021

Summary

Controlling the pH of silk fibroin methacrylate (SilkMA) solutions is crucial for developing tailored hydrogels for tissue engineering. Adjusting pH influences SilkMA hydrogel properties and structure without impacting cell viability.

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Area of Science:

Biomaterials Science
Polymer Chemistry
Tissue Engineering

Background:

Photosensitive polymers enable in situ polymerization and 3D printing.
Silk fibroin (SF) is a promising biomaterial for regenerative medicine due to its mechanical properties and cytocompatibility.
Understanding SF assembly is key for designing effective SF-based materials.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of glycidyl-methacrylate-modified SF (SilkMA) solution pH on SilkMA hydrogel properties and secondary structure.
To evaluate the influence of solution pH on hydrogel characteristics like rheology, mechanical strength, and swellability.
To assess the effect of hydrogel pH on human dermal fibroblast viability and morphology.

Main Methods:

Silk fibroin was modified with glycidyl methacrylate to create SilkMA.

Keywords:

hydrogel methacrylated silk pH regenerative medicine silk β-sheet

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SilkMA solutions were prepared and tested at three different pH levels (5, 7, and 8).

Hydrogel properties including rheology, compressive modulus, optical transmittance, and network swellability were analyzed. In vitro cell culture was performed using human dermal fibroblasts.

Main Results:

Solution pH significantly affected SilkMA hydrogel rheological properties, compressive modulus, optical transmittance, and network swellability.
The pH of the hydrogel did not influence the in vitro viability or morphology of human dermal fibroblasts.
Tailoring SilkMA conformational structure is achievable by controlling solution pH.

Conclusions:

Solution pH is a critical parameter for tuning SilkMA hydrogel properties and secondary structure for specific applications.
Strict pH control during SilkMA hydrogel preparation is essential for reducing batch-to-batch variability and ensuring reproducibility.
This study highlights the potential of pH modulation for developing functional SilkMA-based biomaterials for tissue engineering.