Electrospinning Device: Design of biomimetic silk fibroin hydrogel scaffolds using an “organic-inorganic assembly” strategy for rapid bone regeneration

Background

Ouyang Hongwei's team proposed an "organic-inorganic assembly" strategy in the study of bone scaffolds, and successfully constructed a silk fibroin (SF)-based bone scaffold with biomimetic 3D structure, mechanical properties and excellent osteogenic properties. The following are the key points of the study

β-folded structure promotes the assembly of HAPs in silk fibroin hydrogel

Through ethanol treatment, the β-folded structure in SF hydrogel increased by 3.3 times, significantly promoting the growth of minerals inside the hydrogel, which contained rich Ca and P elements.

"Organic-inorganic assembly" enhances the mechanical properties of Haversian bone-mimicking hydrogel scaffolds

The 3D structure and size of the hydrogel scaffold (SGS) designed by the team showed a porous structure, while ES and EMS were denser. The fracture strain of the EMS group was about 73%, which was significantly higher than that of the SGS group (35%) and the E group (55%), and the strength of the EMS group was 200 times higher than that of the SGS group, indicating that the "organic-inorganic assembly" strategy successfully constructed a hydrogel-derived scaffold with a Haversian-like structure and biomimetic mechanical properties.

The secondary structure conformation of hydrogel affects the ion adsorption process

The reorganized secondary structure can enhance the ion adsorption process, and the β-folded crystal can serve as a template for mineral growth, together achieving a better mineral assembly.

Mineral-assembled silica gel promotes hBMSCs adhesion and osteogenic differentiation

Experiments have shown that the assembly between minerals and SF can lead to rapid adhesion of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) and enhance osteogenic differentiation.

Mineral-assembled hydrogel scaffolds can efficiently repair large bone defects in load-bearing areas

EMS can provide sufficient mechanical support in load-bearing areas, prevent bone deformation, and promote tissue regeneration. Histological staining results show that EMS can promote bone regeneration within 4 weeks and has good integration with host tissues.

Connection with electrospinning

Promote hBMSCs adhesion and osteogenic differentiation: The research of Ouyang Hongwei's team also showed that mineral-assembled SF hydrogel scaffolds can promote rapid adhesion of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) and promote osteogenic differentiation, which is closely related to the ability of scaffolds prepared by electrospinning technology to mimic the characteristics of ECM.

Electrospinning nanofiber reinforced hydrogel composite scaffold: The nanofiber reinforced hydrogel composite scaffold (NFHCS) formed by combining electrospinning technology with hydrogel shows wide application potential in tissue engineering. This scaffold, which combines electrospinning strategy and hydrogel formation process, has the morphology and structure of natural ECM fibrils and high specific surface area.

Summary

In summary, the research of Ouyang Hongwei's team reveals a promising strategy for constructing natural polymer-derived biomimetic bone grafts to achieve large-size and load-bearing bone regeneration.

Electrospinning Nanofibers Article Source:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioactmat.2024.06.024