DFO-Loaded Tussah Silk Nanofibrous Membranes for Guided Bone Regeneration

Biopolymer nanofibrous membranes have gained considerable attention as advanced biomaterial scaffolds for guided bone regeneration owing to their remarkable structural and functional characteristics. In this study, we developed a novel composite membrane by incorporating deferoxamine (DFO) into tussah silk nanofibrous (Tsn) membranes to synergistically enhance angiogenic and osteogenic capabilities. The physically sheared Tsn membranes predominantly exhibited β-sheet conformations, confirming the preservation of silk's natural secondary structure. Comparative analysis between pristine Tsn and DFO-loaded (DFO-Tsn) membranes revealed that drug incorporation resulted in modest reductions in mechanical parameters, including breaking stress, breaking strain, and Young's modulus. In vitro evaluations demonstrated a time-dependent increase in cell proliferation within the DFO-loaded group, suggesting that the composite membrane maintained excellent biocompatibility. Most notably, when implanted in a rat cranial defect model, the DFO-Tsn group showed substantially enhanced bone regeneration compared to Tsn controls, as evidenced by comprehensive micro-CT analysis and histomorphometric evaluation. These findings collectively demonstrate that DFO-loaded Tsn membranes show great potential for use in bone tissue regeneration.