Comparison of Silk Hydrogels Prepared via Different Methods

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Silk fibroin (SF) hydrogels are promising for biomedical applications due to inherent biocompatibility.
• Existing SF hydrogel preparation methods face challenges with chemical agents and performance limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare different fabrication methods for silk fibroin hydrogels.
• To optimize silk fibroin hydrogel design strategies for enhanced biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of silk fibroin hydrogels via sonication induction, chemical crosslinking, photopolymerization, and enzyme-catalyzed crosslinking.
• Evaluation of hydrogel properties including compressive strength, toughness, thermostability, and in vitro cell viability.

Main Results:

• Photopolymerized SF hydrogels demonstrated superior compressive properties (124 Kpa fracture stress).
• Chemical crosslinking and enzyme-catalyzed methods yielded tougher hydrogels, while sonication induced brittleness.
• SF hydrogels without chemical agents exhibited higher in vitro human umbilical vein endothelial cell viability.

Conclusions:

• Different fabrication methods significantly impact silk fibroin hydrogel mechanical and biological performance.
• Photopolymerization is optimal for compressive strength, while other methods enhance toughness.
• Minimizing chemical agents in SF hydrogel preparation promotes better cell viability for biomedical applications.