Surface modification of 3D-printed polycaprolactone scaffolds with silk fibroin for bone tissue engineering

One innovative design for tissue-engineering scaffolds uses 3D printing technology. Here, we used polycaprolactone (PCL) filament as a biocompatible material to design a porous 3D scaffold for bone tissue engineering. After surface modification with silk fibroin, the samples were analyzed using various techniques, including structural characterization, morphological analysis, wettability assessment, cytotoxicity testing, and cell adhesion assays. Scanning electron microscope images showed that the samples were successfully fabricated and exhibited a well-structured porous architecture. Structural analysis confirmed the presence of a silk fibroin coating on the surfaces of the PCL filaments. Contact angle measurements showed that the control PCL sample, with a contact angle of 73°, decreased to approximately 52° after surface modification with silk fibroin, indicating enhanced hydrophilicity of the scaffolds postmodification. The MTT assay results demonstrated that the modified samples exhibited no cytotoxicity, while electron microscopy images showed good cell adhesion. In general, the surface modification of 3D-printed PCL scaffolds with silk fibroin represents a promising approach for developing suitable scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.