Fibroin hydrogels for biomedical applications: preparation, characterization and in vitro cell culture studies.
Silk fibroin hydrogels prepared either by treating a 2% (w/v) silk fibroin aqeuous solution at 4 degrees C (thermgel) or by adding 30% (v/v) of glycerol (glygel), were characterized by using Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetrical Analysis (TGA) and molecular weight determination. The preparation procedure affected morphology and molecular weight of hydrogels, with no or negligible differences being displayed by FT-IR and DSC analyses. While thermgel presented a well uniform porous structure, the morphology of glygel appeared to be non-porous and heterogeneous. Glygel presented lower water content and lower degradation temperatures, associated with the presence of glycerol but likely also to less-organized protein structures. Cytoxicity tests with human osteoblast-like cells indicated that both gels were not cytoxic, while cell cultures pointed out a faster cell proliferation on glygel and a higher cell activation and differentiation on thermgel. These gels could be used as scaffolds able to promote in situ bone regeneration.
Department of Materials Engineering and Industrial Technologies, University of Trento, via Mesiano 77, Trento, Italy. antonella.motta@ing.unitn.it
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Motta
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Torricelli
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Giardino
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D012831:Bombyx; D002138:Calibration; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D047011:Silk / Q000378:metabolism; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013696:Temperature; D013818:Thermogravimetry; D013997:Time Factors
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020100:Hydrogels; D047011:Silk; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D005349:Fibroins