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β-folding-rich silk nanofiber hydrogels, as a scaffold material suitable for tissue regeneration and a variety of drug carriers, have attracted much attention due to their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, their unsatisfactory mechanical properties limit their wide application in the biomedical field. To solve this problem, researchers have conducted in-depth research on the assembly process of silk nanofibers in order to improve their mechanical properties by improving their structure.
Solvent replacement strategy: Formic acid is used as a solvent for regenerated silk fibroin to shield the charge repulsion of silk nanofibers in concentrated solutions and promote their self-assembly. Water is then used to replace formic acid to solidify the assembly, thereby inducing the formation of a tough hydrogel.
Mechanical properties test: The mechanical properties of silk nanofiber hydrogels with different concentrations, such as modulus, ultimate stress and toughness, were tested through tensile and compression experiments.
Biocompatibility and cell differentiation experiments: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were implanted into silk nanofiber hydrogels with different concentrations to evaluate their cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation abilities.
Improved mechanical properties: The silk nanofiber hydrogel prepared by solvent replacement strategy has a modulus of 5.88±0.82 MPa, an ultimate stress of 1.55±0.06 MPa, and a toughness of 0.85±0.03 MJ m^-3, which is better than the silk gel prepared by the previous complex cross-linking process.
Good biocompatibility: Silk nanofiber hydrogel can support the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, and high concentration hydrogel is more conducive to osteoblast differentiation.
Structure and performance association: Thanks to the dense gel network and high β-folding content, these silk nanofiber hydrogels have good stability and anti-swelling ability. By changing the concentration of silk nanofibers, the modulus of the hydrogel can be adjusted, thereby providing different differentiation signals for stem cells.
Preparation of nanofiber structure: Electrospinning technology can produce long fibers with smaller diameter and higher surface area to volume ratio. This helps to prepare silk fibroin nanofibers with specific structures and properties, and provides a basis for constructing silk nanofiber hydrogels.
Regulating fiber morphology and arrangement: 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 arrangement and orientation of silk nanofibers to be precisely regulated, thereby optimizing the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of the hydrogel.
Loading bioactive substances: Electrospinning equipment can prepare nanofibers loaded with bioactive molecules. For example, growth factors and drugs that promote cell growth and differentiation are loaded into silk fibroin nanofibers. By controlling the release rate, the continuous action of bioactive substances in the hydrogel is achieved, further improving its effect in tissue regeneration.
The research of Davide Kaplan's team provides new ideas for the preparation of silk nanofiber hydrogels, and successfully prepares hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties and bioactivity through solvent replacement strategy. Future research can further explore the application of electrospinning technology in the preparation of silk nanofiber hydrogels, improve the performance of hydrogels by optimizing material selection and spinning process parameters, and promote their widespread application in biomedicine and engineering fields.
Electrospinning Nanofibers Article Source:
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c01616
