Electrospinning Device: Injectable silk fibroin nanofiber hydrogel composite scaffold for cartilage regeneration

Background

As a TGF-β1 mimetic peptide, LIANAK can exert TGF-β1-like effects, including promoting cartilage regeneration. However, LIANAK has a burst release phenomenon when used directly, and a suitable delivery system is required to maintain its concentration.

Development of Silk Peptide Nanofiber Hydrogel Composite Scaffold (SF-GMA/LKP)

Researchers from the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, developed an injectable hydrogel composite scaffold (SF-GMA/LKP) that improves mechanical strength and slows down degradation by covalently binding LIANAK to self-assembling peptide nanofiber hydrogel (LKP) for high-quality cartilage repair.

Application of Electrospinning Technology in Cartilage Repair

Electrospinning technology can prepare nanofibers with specific properties, which can be used to enhance the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of scaffolds, thereby promoting ligament-bone healing. Although electrospinning equipment was not used directly in this study, electrospinning technology shows great application prospects in the preparation of high-performance tissue engineering scaffolds, especially in the field of cartilage regeneration.

Characteristic analysis of SF-GMA/LKP

The addition of LKP increases the internal pore size of the composite material, resulting in increased water absorption, swelling performance and degradation rate. Doping with LKP can cause the conformational transformation of SF-GMA and improve the strength of the composite scaffold.

Biocompatibility and cartilage differentiation

SF-GMA/LKP in different proportions have good biocompatibility. As the proportion of LKP increases, the ability of the composite material to promote BMSC proliferation increases. Appropriate doping with LKP can promote BMSC cartilage differentiation.

Animal model verification

The ability of the composite scaffold to repair cartilage defects was studied using a rabbit knee cartilage defect model. The study showed that after the composite scaffold was repaired, there was no obvious inflammatory infiltration in the cartilage, and the subchondral bone repair performance of the SF-GMA/LKP10 and SF-GMA/LKP20 composite scaffolds was the best one month after repair.

Conclusion

This study used EFK as a self-assembly driving force to deliver the TGF-β1 mimetic peptide LIANAK to prepare LKP hydrogel. LKP has a typical nanofiber structure with good biocompatibility and cartilage-promoting ability. Based on the principle that peptides can induce SF conformational transition to gradually form a stable hydrogel in a short time, a composite scaffold SF-GMA/LKP was developed. SF-GMA/LKP overcomes the problem of poor mechanical properties of LKP, and can respond immediately, fill cartilage defects in situ, and promote cartilage regeneration and repair. The composite scaffold repair effect is best at the ratio of SF-GMA/LKP10 and SF-GMA/LKP20. This study provides a new treatment strategy for high-quality regeneration and repair of cartilage defects.

Electrospinning technology has potential application value in the field of cartilage repair, especially in the preparation of nanofiber scaffolds with specific mechanical properties and biocompatibility. By combining LIANAK mimetic peptides and silk peptide nanofiber hydrogel composite scaffolds, new treatment strategies can be developed to promote high-quality regeneration and repair of cartilage defects.

Electrospinning Nanofibers Article Source:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2024.100962