Electrospinning Equipment: Research on silk fibroin-based biomaterials for cartilage/osteochondrocyte repair

Advantages of silk fibroin-based biomaterials

Excellent mechanical properties: Silk fibroin has better mechanical properties than other natural and synthetic materials, with a maximum elongation at break of 4%, a limiting Young's modulus of 26%, and a limiting Young's modulus of 300-700MPa.

Good biocompatibility and biodegradability: The chemical composition and structure of silk fibroin give it good biocompatibility and biodegradability, and its degradation products (mainly amino acids and peptides) are not only non-cytotoxic, but also can provide nutrition for tissue regeneration.

Promote bone and cartilage regeneration: Silk fibroin can significantly promote bone and cartilage regeneration.

Application of electrospinning equipment in silk fibroin-based biomaterials

Preparation of nanofiber structure: Electrospinning equipment can prepare silk fibroin nanofibers with specific structures and properties. These nanofibers can be used to construct scaffolds for cartilage/osteocartilage repair, giving them better mechanical properties and biocompatibility. For example, nanofibers prepared by electrospinning technology can be evenly dispersed in the scaffold to enhance the overall performance of the material.

Regulating the microstructure of the scaffold: By adjusting the parameters in the electrospinning process (such as spinning solution concentration, viscosity, electric field strength, etc.), the diameter and morphology of the nanofibers can be precisely controlled. This allows the pore structure and pore size of the silk fibroin-based scaffold to be precisely regulated, thereby better meeting the needs of cartilage/osteocartilage repair.

Loading bioactive substances: Electrospinning equipment can prepare nanofiber scaffolds loaded with bioactive molecules. For example, growth factors and drugs that promote chondrocyte growth and differentiation are loaded into silk fibroin nanofibers, and the release rate is controlled to achieve the continuous effect of bioactive substances in the cartilage/osteocartilage repair site.

Summary and Outlook

Electrospinning equipment has important application prospects in the preparation of silk fibroin-based biomaterials. It can prepare scaffolds with structures and mechanical properties close to natural cartilage/osteocartilage, promoting cell growth and tissue regeneration. Future research can further optimize material selection and spinning process parameters, improve the biocompatibility and mechanical properties of scaffolds, and promote their clinical application. In addition, with the advancement of technology, 4D biomaterials that combine silk fibroin-based biomaterials with the fourth dimension of "time" will also become an important research direction, which can be adaptively adjusted to ensure the therapeutic repair of cartilage/osteocartilage.

Electrospinning Nanofibers Article Source:

https://www.thno.org/v12p5103.htm