Considering the outstanding biocompatibility of Bombyx mori silk fibroin, this study is designed to fabricate biomimetic nanofibrous structure made of silk fibroin, which can enhance cell activities for tissue formation. The electrospinning of blend of silk fibroin with low molecular weight poly(ethylene-oxide) (PEO) is explored with ease of preparation for high productivities. The average diameter of electrospun silk fibroin (eSF) is decreased from 414 6 73 to 290 6 46 nm after PEO extraction. To induce the desired cellular activity, the surface of the eSF fibers is modified with fibronectin by using the carbodiimide chemistry method. The potential use of the obtained wound healing material is assessed by indirect cytotoxicity evaluation on normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) in terms of their attachment and cell proliferation. The surface-modified eSF nanofiber mats show good support for cellular adhesion and spreading as a result of fibronectin grafting on the fiber surface, especially for cell migration inside the fibrous structure. These results demonstrate a new fabrication technique of surface-modified silk fibroin electrospun nanofibers for biomedical application; with the ability to accelerate wound healing.

To achieve excellent biofunctionality of Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF), we explored a novel hybridization method to combine the unique properties of SF with poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) electrospun fibers. The hybrid electrospun fibers demonstrate excellent hydrophilicity and biocompatibility that are important to tissue engineering applications. The biomimetic fibrous structure was fabricated by conventional electrospinning of PCL. The individual surfaces of PCL electrospun fibers were coated with silk fibroin protein using a lyophilization technique. The SF coating layers were durable which were further developed by surface modification with fibronectin to improve their biological function. The hybrid electrospun fibers show excellent support for normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cells adhesion and proliferation than neat PCL fibers, while the surface-modified hybrid electrospun fibers show significantly enhanced proliferation of NHDF cells on their surface. This study indicates the new opportunity of fabrication technique that can construct a biomimetic fibrous structure while the original function as a biomaterial remained existing.