Preparation and cytocompatibility of silk fibroin / chitosan scaffolds

Abstract

One challenge in soft tissue engineering is to find an applicable scaffold, not only having suitable mechanical properties, porous structures, and biodegradable properties, but also being abundant in active groups and having good biocompatibility. In this study, a three-dimensional silk fibroin/chitosan (SFCS) scaffold was successfully prepared with interconnected porous structure, excellent hydrophilicity, and proper mechanical properties. Compared with polylactic glycolic acid (PLGA) scaffold, the SFCS scaffold further facilitated the growth of HepG2 cells (human hepatoma cell line). Keeping the good cytocompatibility and combining the advantages of both fibroin and chitosan, the SFCS scaffold should be a prominent candidate for soft tissue engineering, for example, liver.

Keywords

silk fibroin / chitosan / scaffold / cytocompatibility / HepG2 cell

References

[1] Freed L E, Vunjaknovakovic G, Biron R J, . Biodegradable polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering. Bio-Technology, 1994, 12(7): 689-693

[2] Mayer J, Karamuk E, Akaike T, . Matrices for tissue engineering-scaffold structure for a bioartificial liver support system. Journal of Controlled Release, 2000, 64(1-3): 81-90

[3] Hutmacher D W. Scaffolds in tissue engineering bone and cartilage. Biomaterials, 2000, 21(24): 2529-2543

[4] Kulig K M, Vacanti J P. Hepatic tissue engineering. Transplant Immunology, 2004, 12(3-4): 303-310

[5] Ge J J, Cui Y F, Yan Y, . The effect of structure on pervaporation of chitosan membrane. Journal of Membrane Science, 2000, 165(1): 75-81

[6] Kim D K, Kim H S. Structure and characteristic of chitosan Bombyx mori silk fibroin blend films. Polymer-Korea, 2005, 29(4): 408-412

[7] Lv Q, Feng Q L. Preparation of 3-D regenerated fibroin scaffolds with freeze drying method and freeze drying/foaming technique. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine, 2006, 17(12): 1349-1356

[8] Lu Q, Zhang S J, Hu K, . Cytocompatibility and blood compatibility of multifunctional fibroin/collagen/heparin scaffolds. Biomaterials, 2007, 28(14): 2306-2313

[9] Lv Q A, Feng Q L, Hu K, . Three-dimensional fibroin/collagen scaffolds derived from aqueous solution and the use for HepG2 culture. Polymer, 2005, 46(26): 12662-12669

[10] Wang X H, Yan Y N, Lin F, . Preparation and characterization of a collagen/chitosan/heparin matrix for an implantable bioartificial liver. Journal of Biomaterials Science — Polymer Edition, 2005, 16(9): 1063-1080

[11] Gobin A S, Froude V E, Mathur A B. Structural and mechanical characteristics of silk fibroin and chitosan blend scaffolds for tissue regeneration. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, 2005, 74A(3): 465-473

[12] Subramanian A, Vu D, Larsen G F, . Preparation and evaluation of the electrospun chitosan/PEO fibers for potential applications in cartilage tissue engineering. Journal of Biomaterials Science — Polymer Edition, 2005, 16(7): 861-873

[13] Krajewska B. Application of chitin- and chitosan-based materials for enzyme immobilizations: a review. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 2004, 35(2-3): 126-139

[14] Kweon H, Yoo M K, Park I K, . A novel degradable polycaprolactone networks for tissue engineering. Biomaterials, 2003, 24(5): 801-808

[15] Suh J K F, Matthew H W T. Application of chitosan-based polysaccharide biomaterials in cartilage tissue engineering: a review. Biomaterials, 2000, 21(24): 2589-2598

[16] Madihally S V, Matthew H W T. Porous chitosan scaffolds for tissue engineering. Biomaterials, 1999, 20(12): 1133-1142

[17] VandeVord P J, Matthew H W T, DeSilva S P, . Evaluation of the biocompatibility of a chitosan scaffold in mice. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, 2002, 59(3): 585-590

[18] Altman G H, Diaz F, Jakuba C, . Silk-based biomaterials. Biomaterials, 2003, 24(3): 401-416

[19] Gotoh Y, Minoura N, Miyashita T. Preparation and characterization of conjugates of silk fibroin and chitooligosaccharides. Colloid and Polymer Science, 2002, 280(6): 562-568

[20] Lv Q, Hu K, Feng Q L, . Preparation and characterization of PLA/fibroin composite and culture of HepG2 (human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line) cells. Composites Science and Technology, 2007, 67(14): 3023-3030

[21] Lu G Y, Kong L J, Sheng B Y, . Degradation of covalently cross-linked carboxymethyl chitosan and its potential application for peripheral nerve regeneration. European Polymer Journal, 2007, 43(9): 3807-3818

[22] She Z D, Jin C R, Huang Z, . Silk fibroin/chitosan scaffold: preparation, characterization, and culture with HepG2 cell. Journal of Materials Sciece: Materials in Medicine, 2008, 19(12): 3545-3553

[23] She Z D, Zhang B F, Jin C R, . Preparation and in vitro degradation of porous three-dimensional silk fibroin/chitosan scaffold. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 2008, 93(7): 1316-1322

[24] Thomson R C, Yaszemski M J, Powers J M, . Hydroxyapatite fiber reinforced poly(alpha-hydroxy ester) foams for bone regeneration. Biomaterials, 1998, 19(21): 1935-1943

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 50672044 and 50772052) and the Foundation of Analysis and Testing in Tsinghua University.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg