title: Nonwoven silk fibroin net/nano-hydroxyapatite scaffold: preparation and characterization.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to prepare and characterize a three-dimensional scaffold consisting of porous nonwoven silk fibroin net/nano-apatite composite. The silk fibroin net was mineralized with apatite by alternative soaking in calcium and phosphate solutions. The scaffold exhibited a porous microstructure with open porosity (70-78%), with an average pore size of about 163 +/- 40.0 microm. The swelling ratio and water uptake were 4.55% and 81.93%, respectively, indicating excellent hydrophilicity. The nano-sized hydroxyapatite crystals were needle like, with a length of approximately 100-300 nm and a diameter of approximately 20-60 nm. The results of in vitro cell culture study using rat osteoblast cells demonstrated that the nonwoven silk fibroin net/nano-apatite composite showed excellent cytocompatibility for the growth of osteoblasts and had the capability to improve the viability of osteoblasts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Materials, West China College of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Alex H K
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Racquel Z
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: LeGeros
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D017886:Durapatite / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005349:Fibroins / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008903:Minerals / Q000737:chemistry; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016062:Porosity / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D047011:Silk / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D047011:Silk; D005349:Fibroins; D017886:Durapatite; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase