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Published on: July 2, 2018
HRP-crosslinked silk-gelatin bioinks: printability dynamics and modulation of stem cell lineage commitment in 3D
Chandrashish Roy1, Priya Banerjee1, Sourabh Ghosh1
1Regenerative Engineering Laboratory, Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi-110016, India. Sourabh.Ghosh@textile.iitd.ac.in.
Journal of Materials Chemistry. B
|June 16, 2026
Summary
A new silk fibroin-gelatin bioink using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) offers improved printability and cell performance for tissue engineering. This optimized system enhances reproducibility and mechanical properties for clinical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Current 3D bioprinting requires bioinks with high printability, mechanical strength, and consistent cell performance.
- Previous silk fibroin-gelatin (SF-G) bioinks used mushroom tyrosinase (MT) but faced limitations like batch variation, slow gelation, and inconsistent properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a next-generation SF-G bioink with enhanced reproducibility and performance for 3D bioprinting.
- To overcome limitations of previous MT-crosslinked SF-G bioinks using an alternative enzymatic crosslinking system.
Main Methods:
- Developed a novel SF-G bioink crosslinked with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).
- Evaluated hydrogel properties including stiffness, shape fidelity, degradation resistance, and rheological behavior.
- Assessed cytocompatibility using reactive oxygen species (ROS) quantification and encapsulated human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs).
- Investigated the effect of triiodothyronine (T3) and transforming growth factor-β3 (TGF-β3) on cell differentiation and matrix deposition.
Main Results:
- The HRP-H2O2 system enabled rapid, tunable crosslinking via β-sheet enhancement, improving hydrogel stiffness and shape fidelity.
- Rheological analysis confirmed optimal shear-thinning behavior and print fidelity.
- Encapsulated hBMSCs maintained high viability and showed robust osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation.
- T3 and TGF-β3 supplementation enhanced matrix deposition and tissue-specific morphogenesis.
- A 10 U HRP-H2O2 formulation demonstrated a balance of mechanical integrity, bioactivity, and reproducibility.
Conclusions:
- The HRP-H2O2 crosslinking system significantly improves SF-G bioink properties compared to MT.
- This optimized bioink offers enhanced mechanical integrity, tunable crosslinking, and excellent cellular performance.
- The developed bioink is a promising candidate for scalable and clinically viable applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
