Piezoelectric fibers based on silk fibroin with excellent output performance

The self-powered tissue engineering scaffold with good biocompatibility is of great significance for stimulating nerve cell growth.In this study,silk fibroin(SF)-based fibers with regulatable structure and piezoelectric performance are fabricated by dry-spinning and post-treatment.The concentration of SF and calcium ion in spinning dope and the post-treatment affect the conformation transition and crystallinity of SF.As a result,the SF fibers exhibit high piezoelectric coefficient d_(33)(3.24 pm/V)and output voltage(~27 V).Furthermore,these piezoelectric fibers promote the growth of PC-12 cells,demonstrating the promising potential for nerve repair and other energy harvester.

Preparation of Regenerated Silk Fibroin Hybrid Fibers with Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing Properties by Wet Spinning

Silk is widely used in the production of high-quality textiles.At the same time,the amount of silk textiles no longer in use and discarded is increasing,resulting in significant waste and pollution.This issue is of great concern in many countries where silk is used.Hydrogen peroxide as a naturally occurring compound is an important indicator of detection in both biology and the environment.This study aims to develop a composite fiber with hydrogen peroxide-sensing properties using discarded silk materials.To achieve this goal,firstly,polydopamine(PDA)was used to encapsulate the ZnFe_(2)O_(4) NPs to achieve the improvement of dispersion,and then regenerated silk fibroin(RSF)and PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4)/RSF hybrid fibers are prepared by wet spinning.Research has shown that PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4)/RSF demonstrates exceptional sensitivity,selectivity,and stability in detecting hydrogen peroxide,while maintaining high mechanical strength.Furthermore,the complete hybridization of PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4) with silk fibroin not only results in the combination of the durability of silk fibroin and PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4)’s rigidity,ensuring a reliable service life,but also makes PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4)/RSF exhibit excellent catalytic activity and biocompatibility.Therefore,the composite fiber exhibits exceptional mechanical properties and reliable hydrogen peroxide sensing capabilities,making it a promising material for biological and medical applications.

Preparation and release of curcumin/silk fibroin/sodium alginate film

The aim of this study was to prepare silk fibroin/sodium alginate composite film containing curcumin by casting method.Orthogonal test was used to optimize the formulation according to the values of tensile strength and elongation at break.The release of curcumin in the optimal film was studied in order to explore its application as wound dressing.The results showed that the optimum composition of curcumin/silk fibroin/sodium alginate composite film was as follows:Silk fibroin(70 mg/mL)2.7 g,sodium alginate(24 mg/mL)0.84 g,span 40(5.0 mg/mL)0.4 g,glycerol(3.75%,V/V)3 mL,curcumin(0.2 mg/mL)0.016 g.The optimum film showed the tensile strength and the elongation at break was(0.628±0.032)MPa and(0.794±0.046)%,respectively.

A Review on Silk Fibroin as a Biomaterial in Tissue Engineering

Regenerative medicine progress is based on the development of cell and tissue bioengineering. One of the aims of tissue engineering is the development of scaffolds, which should substitute the functions of the replaced organ after their implantation into the body. The tissue engineering material must meet a range of requirements, including biocompatibility, mechanical strength, and elasticity. Furthermore, the materials have to be attractive for cell growth: stimulate cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and differentiation. One of the natural biomaterials is silk and its component (silk fibroin). An increasing number of scientists in the world are studying silk and silk fibroin. The purpose of this review article is to provide information about the properties of natural silk (silk fibroin), as well as its manufacture and clinical application of each configuration of silk fibroin in medicine. Materials and research methods. Actual publications of foreign authors on resources PubMed, Medline, E-library have been analyzed. The selection criteria were materials containing information about the structure and components of silk, methods of its production in nature. This article placed strong emphasis on silk fibroin, the ways of artificial modification of it for use in various sphere of medicine.

Human amniotic epithelial cells combined with silk fibroin scaffold in the repair of spinal cord injury

Treatment and functional reconstruction after central nervous system injury is a major medical and social challenge. An increasing number of researchers are attempting to use neural stem cells combined with artificial scaffold materials, such as fibroin, for nerve repair. However, such approaches are challenged by ethical and practical issues. Amniotic tissue, a clinical waste product, is abundant, and amniotic epithe- lial cells are pluripotent, have low immunogenicity, and are not the subject of ethical debate. We hypothesized that amniotic epithelial cells combined with silk fibroin scaffolds would be conducive to the repair of spinal cord injury. To test this, we isolated and cultured amniotic epithelial cells, and constructed complexes of these cells and silk fibroin scaffolds. Implantation of the cell-scaffold complex into a rat model of spinal cord injury resulted in a smaller glial scar in the damaged cord tissue than in model rats that received a blank scaffold, or amniotic epithelial cells alone. In addition to a milder local immunological reaction, the rats showed less inflammatory cell infiltration at the trans- plant site, milder host-versus-graft reaction, and a marked improvement in motor function. These findings confirm that the transplantation of amniotic epithelial ceils combined with silk fibroin scaffold can promote the repair of spinal cord injury. Silk fibroin scaffold can provide a good nerve regeneration microenvironment for amniotic epithelial cells.

Novel conductive polypyrrole/silk fibroin scaffold for neural tissue repair

Three dimensional（3D） bioprinting, which involves depositing bioinks（mixed biomaterials） layer by layer to form computer-aided designs, is an ideal method for fabricating complex 3D biological structures. However, it remains challenging to prepare biomaterials with micro-nanostructures that accurately mimic the nanostructural features of natural tissues. A novel nanotechnological tool, electrospinning, permits the processing and modification of proper nanoscale biomaterials to enhance neural cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, differentiation, and subsequent nerve regeneration. The composite scaffold was prepared by combining 3D bioprinting with subsequent electrochemical deposition of polypyrrole and electrospinning of silk fibroin to form a composite polypyrrole/silk fibroin scaffold. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze scaffold composition. The surface morphology of the scaffold was observed by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. A digital multimeter was used to measure the resistivity of prepared scaffolds. Light microscopy was applied to observe the surface morphology of scaffolds immersed in water or Dulbecco＇s Modified Eagle＇s Medium at 37℃ for 30 days to assess stability. Results showed characteristic peaks of polypyrrole and silk fibroin in the synthesized conductive polypyrrole/silk fibroin scaffold, as well as the structure of the electrospun nanofiber layer on the surface. The electrical conductivity was 1 × 10^-5–1 × 10^-3 S/cm, while stability was 66.67%. A 3-（4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl）-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay was employed to measure scaffold cytotoxicity in vitro. Fluorescence microscopy was used to observe Ed U-labeled Schwann cells to quantify cell proliferation. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to detect S100β immunoreactivity, while scanning electron microscopy was applied to observe the morphology of adherent Schwann cells. Results demonstrated that the polypyrrole/silk fibroin scaffold was not cytotoxic and did not affect Schwann cell proliferation. Moreover, filopodia formed on the scaffold and Schwann cells were regularly arranged. Our findings verified that the composite polypyrrole/silk fibroin scaffold has good biocompatibility and may be a suitable material for neural tissue engineering.

SURFACE MODIFICATION OF BLEND FILMS COMPOSED OF SILK FIBROIN AND POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL) MACROMER AND THEIR IN VITRO ANTITHROMBOGENICITY

In order to improve the blood compatibility of silk fibroin (SF), poly(ethylene glycol) macromer (PEGM) in different amounts was added to the SF film to incorporate C=C group into the surface of blend films which were then modified by SO2 gas plasma treatment. ATR-FITR and XPS were used to analyze the chemical change which had occurred on the film's surface. When the content of sulfur on the surface of blend films surpasses 1.59%, the antithrombogenicity of plasma treated films increases remarkably due to surface sulfonation. This result implies that SF with blend of PEGM after SO2 plasma treatment have potential use for making blood-contacting biomaterials.

Preparation and Characterization of PEGDE Crosslinked Silk Fibroin Film

To obtain water-insoluble silk fibroin （SF） materials, polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether （PEG-DE） was selected as a crosslinking agent to prepare SF films （blends）. The reaction conditions were optimized for the crosslinking of the SF molecules. The hot water stability of the blends was measured using BCA protein assay and gravimetric analysis. The molecular conformation and crystalline structure of the blends were analyzed by FTIR and XRD, respectively. When the mass ratio of SF：PEG-DE was 1.0：0.8, the hot water loss rate of the SF blends was minimized. PEG-DE could induce SF molecules to form fl-sheets during the gel reaction process, resulting in improved crystallinity and hot water dissolved resistance of the blend films. In order to demonstrate the eytotoxicity of the chemical reagents used to crosslink SF, L929 cells were seeded on the blend film （SF：PEG-DE = 1：1） and cultured for 3 days. Cells of L929 readily adhered and spread in the fusiform on the blend film resulting in high cell viability. The extracted liquid from the SF porous film did not inhibit cell proliferation, as estimated by the MTT assay.

Electrospun silk fibroin nanofibers promote Schwann cell adhesion, growth and proliferation

In this study, Schwann cells, at a density of 1 x 105 cells/well, were cultured on regenerated silk fibroin nanofibers （305 ＋ 84 nm） prepared using the electrospinning method. Schwann cells cultured on the silk fibroin nanofibers appeared more ordered, their processes extended further, and they formed more extensive and complex interconnections. In addition, the silk fibroin nanofibers had no impact on the proliferation of Schwann cells or on the secretion of ciliary neurotrophic factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor or nerve growth factor. These findings indicate that regenerated electrospun silk fibroin nanofibers can promote Schwann cell adhesion, growth and proliferation, and have excellent biocompatibility.

Exploration of the enhanced performances for silk fibroin/sodium alginate composite coatings on biodegradable Mg-Zn-Ca alloy

To expand the future clinic applications of biodegradable magnesium alloy,polymer coatings with excellent biocompatibility are the keys to solve the local alkalinity and rapid hydrogen release.Natural-organic silk fibroin provides an approach to fabricate a protective coating on biomedical Mg-Zn-Ca alloy,however,the adhesion force and mechanical properties of the coating on substrates are ought to be further improved without any chemical conversion/intermediate layer.Hereby,based on VUV/O;surface activation,a hybrid of silk fibroin and sodium alginate is proposed to enhance the adhesion force and mechanical properties of the composite coatings on hydrophilic Mg-Zn-Ca alloy surfaces.Various mass ratios of sodium alginate addition were investigated to achieve the optimum coating strategy.The nanoscratch test and nanoindentation test confirmed that the adhesion force was tripled and mechanical properties index was significantly improved when the mass ratio of silk fibroin/sodium alginate was 70/30 compared to pure silk fibroin or sodium alginate coatings.Meanwhile,the corrosion rate of the coated Mg-Zn-Ca alloy was significantly delayed with the addition of sodium alginate,resulting in a reaction layer during corrosion process.Furthermore,the mechanisms for both adhesion and corrosion processes were discussed in detail.Our findings offer more possibilities for the controllable surface performance of degradable metals.

Mesoporous Bioglass/Silk Fibroin Scaffolds as a Drug Delivery System: Fabrication, Drug Loading and Release in vitro and Repair Calvarial Defects in vivo

The potential of combining bioactive glass（MBG） and silk fibroin（SF） together as a new drug delivery system was evaluated. The three-dimensional porous scaffolds were selected as the form of SF, and sol-gel method was adopted to fabricate MBG in this study. The characteristic of the synthesized material was measured by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In vitro evaluation of drug delivery was carried out in terms of drug loading and drug release. And aspirin was chosen as the drug for scaffolds to carry out in vitro tests and repair BALB/C mice calvarial defects. Bone formation was examined by microcomputed tomography. The experimental results show that MBG/silk scaffolds have better physiochemical properties compared with silk scaffolds. In comparison to pure silk scaffolds, MBG/silk scaffolds enhance the drug loading efficiency, release rate in vitro and promote bone regeneration in vivo. Thus we conclude that MBG/silk scaffold is a more efficient drug delivery system than pure silk scaffolds.

Designing and Cloning of the Gene Sequence Encoding Silk Fibroin Amorphous Domain

To provide materials used in investigating the relationship between amino acid compositions of silk-like protein, structure, and functions, especially the biological functions, the motif genes encoding the silk fibroin amorphous domain, SGFGPVANGGSGEASSESDFGSSGFGPVANASSGEASSESDFAG(F) were designed and extended using a "head-to-tail" construction strategy. The designed genes were cloned into PSLFA1180FA and multimerized to form structures containing a two-timer, a four-timer, an eight-timer, and a twelve-timer. All the resulting plasmids were digested using the restriction enzyme BamHI and the double-enzymes BglII/HindIII. Restriction enzyme analysis and DNA sequencing revealed the motif was successfully cloned into PSLFA1180FA and multimerized to form a twelve-timer without gene deletion or mutation.

Structure Changes of Silk Fibroin(SF) by Blending with Poly(ε-caprolactone)(PCL):Characterization of SF and PCL Blended Electrospinning Films

The mechanical properties and water solubility of electrospinning SF films limit their use as biomaterials. In order to develop a tissue engineering biomaterial with both satisfying biological properties and sufficient biomechanical properties,blended films composed of silk fibroin( SF) and poly( ε-caprolactone)( PCL) were fabricated by electrospinning in this study. Scanning electron microscope( SEM), X-ray diffraction( XRD),thermal analysis,Fourier transform-infrared( FT-IR),Raman spectra,mechanical testing,and water solubility were used to characterize the morphological, structural and mechanical properties of the blended electrospinning films. Results showed that the diameter of the blended fiber was distributed between 600 and1000 nm,and the fiber diameter increased as the PCL content increased. There is no obvious phase separation due to the similarity and intermiscibility,as well as the interactions( mainly hydrogen bonds), between the two polymers. Meanwhile, the secondary structures of SF changed from random coils and Silk I to Silk II because of the interactions between SF and PCL. For this reason,the tensile strength and elongation at break of the electrospinning films improved significantly,and the water solubility decreased. In conclusion,the blended electrospinning films fabricated in this study showed satisfying mechanical properties and water insolubilities,and they may be promising biomaterials for applications in tissue engineering for blood vessels,nerve conduits,tendons,ligaments and other tissues.

Electrospun and woven silk fibroin/poly(lactic-coglycolic acid) nerve guidance conduits for repairing peripheral nerve injury

We have designed a novel nerve guidance conduit（NGC） made from silk fibroin and poly（lactic-co-glycolic acid） through electrospinning and weaving（ESP-NGCs）. Several physical and biological properties of the ESP-NGCs were assessed in order to evaluate their biocompatibility. The physical properties, including thickness, tensile stiffness, infrared spectroscopy, porosity, and water absorption were determined in vitro. To assess the biological properties, Schwann cells were cultured in ESP-NGC extracts and were assessed by morphological observation, the MTT assay, and immunohistochemistry. In addition, ESP-NGCs were subcutaneously implanted in the backs of rabbits to evaluate their biocompatibility in vivo. The results showed that ESP-NGCs have high porosity, strong hydrophilicity, and strong tensile stiffness. Schwann cells cultured in the ESP-NGC extract fluids showed no significant differences compared to control cells in their morphology or viability. Histological evaluation of the ESP-NGCs implanted in vivo indicated a mild inflammatory reaction and high biocompatibility. Together, these data suggest that these novel ESP-NGCs are biocompatible, and may thus provide a reliable scaffold for peripheral nerve repair in clinical application.

Silk Fibroin-modified Poly(butadiene) urethane Films and Their Effects on Fibroblast Viability

Surface-modified poly(butadiene)urethane (PBTU) films with silk fibroin (SF) were prepared by simple chemical method under the normal temperature. The physical properties and biological behaviour of the SF-modified PBTU film were evaluated. The results showed that the SF-modified PBTU films kept the tenacity and pliability very well, and could overcome rigid and brittle weaks of silk fibroin films. The morphology of SF in the PBTU film was dendritic aggregations, and the water-contact angle measurement indicated that the surface hydrophilicity of modified films was apparently enhanced. The biocompatibility of PBTU films was improved due to the change of surface components. The degree of platelet adhesion and the cell viability of rat embryo dermal fibroblasts seeded on PBTU films, SF films, and SF-modified PBTU films were measured by counting platelets before and after they contacted the films and MTT assay, respectively. The results indicated that platelet adhesion resistance and cell viability on the modified film were greatly superior to those on the PBTU film and the compound interface had good stability in the air.

High performance pentacene organic field-effect transistors consisting of biocompatible PMMA/silk fibroin bilayer dielectric

Pentacene organic field-effect transistors （OFETs） based on single- or double-layer biocompatible dielectrics of poly（methyl methacrylate） （PMMA） and/or silk fibroin （SF） are fabricated. Compared with those devices based on sin- gle PMMA or SF dielectric or SF/PMMA bilayer dielectric, the OFETs with biocompatible PMMA/SF bilayer dielectric exhibit optimal performance with a high field-effect mobility of 0.21 cm2/Vs and a current on/off ratio of 1.5 × 104. By investigating the surface morphology of the pentacene active layer through atom force microscopy and analyzing the elec- trical properties, the performance enhancement is mainly attributed to the crystallization improvement of the pentacene and the smaller interface trap density at the dielectric/organic interface. Meanwhile, a low contact resistance also indicates that a good electrode/organic contact is formed, thereby assisting the performance improvement of the OFET.

Core-shell structured silk Fibroin/PVDF piezoelectric nanofibers for energy harvesting and self-powered sensing

The development of wearable and portable electronics calls for flexible piezoelectric materials to fabricate selfpowered devices.However,a big challenge in piezoelectric material design is to boost the output performance while ensuring its flexibility and biocompatibility.Here,all-organic and core-shell structured silk fibroin(SF)/poly(vinylidene difluoride)(PVDF)piezoelectric nanofibers(NFs)with excellent flexibility are fabricated using a simple electrospinning strategy.The strong intermolecular interaction between SF and PVDF promotes theβ-phase nucleation in the core-shell structure,which significantly enhances the output performance.An output of 16.5 V was achieved in SF/PVDF NFs,which is more than 6-fold enhancement compared with that of pure PVDF NFs.In addition,the piezoelectric device can sensitively detect the mechanical stimulation from joint bending,demonstrating its great potential in self-powered sensor.Otherwise,the piezoelectric device can be also applied to control the movement of a smart car,successfully,achieving its application in the human-machine interaction.

Silk Fibroin-Based Hydrogel for Multifunctional Wearable Sensors

The flexible wearable sensors with excellent stretchability,high sensitivity and good biocompatibility are significantly required for continuously physical condition tracking in health management and rehabilitation monitoring.Herein,we present a high-performance wearable sensor.The sensor is prepared with nanocomposite hydrogel by using silk fibroin(SF),polyacrylamide(PAM),polydopamine(PDA)and graphene oxide(GO).It can be used to monitor body motions(including large-scale and small-scale motions)as well as human electrophysiological(ECG)signals with high sensitivity,wide sensing range,and fast response time.Therefore,the proposed sensor is promising in the fields of rehabilitation,motion monitoring and disease diagnosis.

Green Electrospun Silk Fibroin/Galactose Chitosan Composite Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Hepatic Tissue Engineering

The electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds made of proteins and polysaccharides were thought to be able to simulate the structure of natural extracellular matrix well.Silk fibroin(SF)and chitosan(CS)are probably the most widely used natural materials in biomedical fields including liver tissue engineering for their good properties and wide variety of sources.The asialoglycoprotein receptors of hepatocyte were reported to specifically recognize and interact with galactose.In this work,a green electrospun SF/galactosylated chitosan(GC)composite nanofibrous scaffold was fabricated and characterized.The data indicated that the addition of GC greatly influenced the spinning effect of SF aqueous solution,and the average diameter of the composite nanofibers was about 520nm.Moreover,the green electrospun SF/GC nanofibrous scaffolds were demonstrated significantly enhancing the adhesion and proliferation of hepatocyte(RH35)according to our data.The present study did a useful exploration on constructing scaffolds for liver regeneration by green electrospinning,and also laid a good foundation for the further applicative research of this green electrospun scaffolds in liver tissue engineering.

Preparation and Characterization of Silk Fibroin Aerogel

Silk protein fibroin,as a biomedical material,has good biocompatibility,biodegradability,regulation and excellent physical and chemical properties. In this work,a low density porous silk fibroin material is prepared from fibroin solution by high-speed shearing with impeller. By adjusting shear rate of the stirrer,silk fibroin aerogel with different sizes of the aperture is prepared. In general, this aerogel has small porosity, uniform pores, good mechanical properties and slow rate of degradation. It is observed that increasing the shear rate results in higher porosity of aerogel,while the diameter of the aerogel becomes smaller. This silk aerogel may offer a new option as biomaterial for the tissue engineering application based on the information on the structural behaviors.