title: Mechanical property and biological performance of electrospun silk fibroin-polycaprolactone scaffolds with aligned fibers.
abstract: The mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and sterilizability of silk fibroin allow it to be a possible candidate as a natural bone regenerate material. To improve mechanical character and reinforce the cell movement induction, silk fibroin (SF)-polycaprolactone (PCL) alloy was fabricated by electrospinning techniques with a rotating collector to form aligned fibrous scaffolds and random-oriented scaffolds. The scanning electron microscope image of the scaffold and the mechanical properties of the scaffold were investigated by tensile mechanical tests, which were compared to random-oriented scaffolds. Furthermore, mesenchymal stem cells were planted on these scaffolds to investigate the biocompatibility, elongation, and cell movement in situ. Scanning electron microscopy shows that 91% fibers on the aligned fibroin scaffold were distributed between the dominant direction ±10°. With an ideal support for stem cell proliferation in vitro, the aligned fibrous scaffold induces cell elongation at a length of 236.46 ± 82 μm and distribution along the dominant fiber direction with a cell alignment angle at 6.57° ± 4.45°. Compared with random-oriented scaffolds made by artificial materials, aligned SF-PCL scaffolds could provide a moderate mesenchymal stem cell engraftment interface and speed up early stage cell movement toward the bone defect.
authors.affiliation: a Drum Tower Clinical College of Integrative Medicine , Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine , Nanjing , China.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: b Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital , The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School , Nanjing , China.
authors.forename: Hongfei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: b Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital , The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School , Nanjing , China.
authors.forename: Xushen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: b Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital , The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School , Nanjing , China.
authors.forename: Yixin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry; D013718:Tensile Strength; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone; D005349:Fibroins
keywords: Electrospinning; aligned fibrous scaffold; cell migration; mesenchymal stem cells; silk fibroin