Characterization of Electrospun Silk Fibroin Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering: A Review

Abstract

Silk Fibroin (SF) is a natural polymer obtained from the Bombyx mori silkworm. It has been used in bone tissue engineering thanks to its favorable biocompatibility, adhesion, low biodegradability, and tensile strength properties. Electrospinning is a technique to develop nanofibers. It uses high voltages to convert polymer solutions into porous nanostructured scaffolds with a good ratio between superficial area and volume. In this paper, we examine the effect of the electrospinning parameters on fiber morphology once the spun fibers have been treated. In addition, we present different physicochemical characterizations of electrospun SF scaffolds such as their morphology (via Scanning Electron Microscopic—SEM—), crystalline structure (via Fourier Transform Infrared—FTIR—spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction—XRD—), thermal characteristics (via Differential Scanning Calorimetry—DSC—and Thermogravimetric Analysis—TGA—), and mechanical properties (tensile strength). Finally, we discuss the potential applications and impacts of electrospun SF in bone tissue engineering and future research trends.

Electrospun Poly(ethylene Terephthalate)/Silk Fibroin Composite for Filtration Application

“…The majority of the amino acids in silk fibroin are glycine (45.9%) and alanine (30.3%), which show minimal chemical reactivity and give the SF unique features including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and host–implantation integration. Silk fibroin has been due to its biocompatibility studied in many applications such as tissue and nervous system regeneration [ 114 , 115 ], wound dressing [ 58 , 116 ], drug release systems [ 117 ], and sutures [ 118 ]. Herein, the cytotoxic effects of 24 and 48 h exposure of the investigated samples were evaluated in HaCaT cells by the MTT assay.…”

An Insight into Nano Silver Fluoride-Coated Silk Fibroin Bioinspired Membrane Properties for Guided Tissue Regeneration

“…The variation in mechanical properties of materials should be compatible with the healing or regeneration process. The silk fibroins are characterized as natural polymers, with β-sheets or crystals responsible for stability and in turn the mechanical properties [ 68 ]. In electrospun silk fibroins (with higher mechanical properties), treated with ethanol, the β-sheet structure can be easily enhanced [ 68 ].…”

“…The silk fibroins are characterized as natural polymers, with β-sheets or crystals responsible for stability and in turn the mechanical properties [ 68 ]. In electrospun silk fibroins (with higher mechanical properties), treated with ethanol, the β-sheet structure can be easily enhanced [ 68 ]. So is observed in our study, wherein the ethanol-treated SF which when further coated by various materials exhibited higher β-sheet content and crystallinity.…”

Advances in Growth Factor Delivery for Bone Tissue Engineering

“…In addition to collagen, other natural biopolymers such as silk fibroin can also be effective in bone tissue engineering applications [ 79 , 80 ]. Silk fibroin is a fibrous protein produced by silkworms and spiders with outstanding mechanical characteristics, high biological compatibility, and an adjustable degradation rate that can support cell differentiation [ 81 , 82 ] and, thus, versatility in processing.…”

“… ( A ) Natural crosslinking of collagen (head-to-tail); ( B ) the intermolecular crosslink of collagen allowing for the protection of collagen from enzymatic degradation; ( C ) live/dead cell viability assay of PDLSCs (periodontal ligament stem cells) performed in collagen powder before implantation and 24 h after incubation showing that cells in green are alive; ( D ) mechanism of reaction to modify a collagen scaffold functionalized with hydroxyapatite and BMP-2, and modified scaffolds; ( E ) hydroxyapatite scaffold ( a ) micro-CT pore structure ( b ), surface morphology (SEM) ( c ), cross-sectional morphology (SEM) ( d ), and hydroxyapatite and collagen scaffold (SEM) ( e , f ); and ( F ) fluorescent-stained images of a collagen-hydroxyapatite-modified scaffold detecting BMP-2 after 1, 5, and 21 days [ 75 , 80 , 81 ]. …”