To create an ideal graft substitute for regenerating bone, the scaffold should possess osteocondu... more To create an ideal graft substitute for regenerating bone, the scaffold should possess osteoconductive, osteoinductive, and osteogenic properties. Hydrogels are a very common scaffold, but the mechanical integrity and nanoporous structure are not advantageous for bone regeneration. Cryogelation is a technique in which the controlled freezing and thawing of a polymer creates a spongy, macroporous structure with ideal structural characteristics and promising mechanical stability. Hydrogels and cryogels of three different materials (chitosan–gelatin, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, and silk fibroin (SF)) were compared to assess the optimal material and form of scaffold for this application. Cryogel and hydrogel structures were tested in parallel to evaluate porosity, swelling, mechanical integrity, cellular infiltration, and mineralization potential. Cryogels proved superior to hydrogels based on swelling potential and mechanical properties. Among the cryogels, SF demonstrated high pore diameter and area, mineralization upon cellular infiltration, and the largest presence of osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation. These results demonstrate the practicality of cryogels for a bone regeneration application and identify SF as a potential material choice.
In this study, we report a method to form macroporous silk fibroin (SF) scaffolds through a combi... more In this study, we report a method to form macroporous silk fibroin (SF) scaffolds through a combination of ultrasonication followed by cryogelation at subzero temperatures. The resultant sonication induced SF cryogels encompassed larger pore sizes (151±56 μm) and higher mechanical stability (127.15±24.71 kPa) than their hydrogel counterparts made at room temperature. Furthermore, the addition of dopants like Manuka honey and bone char in SF cryogels did not affect cryogel synthesis but decreased the pore size in a concentration dependent manner. With no crack propagation at 50% strain and promising stability under cyclic loads, mineralization and cellular infiltration potential were analyzed for bone tissue engineering purposes. Although the scaffolds showed limited mineralization, encouraging cellular infiltration results yield promise for other tissue engineering applications. The use of mild processing conditions, a simplistic procedure, and the lack of organic solvents or chemical cross-linkers renders the combination of sonication and cryogelation as an attractive fabrication technique for 3D SF macroporous scaffolds.
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Papers by C. Eberlin