Enhanced bone regeneration using Antheraea mylitta silk fibroin and chitosan based scaffold: in-vivo and in-vitro study

Abstract In this study, highly interconnected porous scaffolds from Antheraea mylitta silk fibroin (SF) and chitosan (CH) were fabricated using the freeze-drying method. The weight ratios of SF to CH were varied from 90:10 (SF 90 /CH 10 ) to 50:50 (SF 50 /CH 50 ) to prepare the scaffolds from the aqueous suspension of the protein-polysaccharide mix. From the initial optimization of scaffold composition with respect to their microstructure, porosity, and mechanical properties, the SF 80 /CH 20 scaffold exhibited the most suitable properties for bone tissue engineering application as compared to others compositions. Hence in-vitro hemocompatibility, protein adsorption, and MG-63 cell culture studies were carried out for SF 80 /CH 20 scaffold. The fabricated SF 80 /CH 20 scaffold showed a more controlled swelling percentage of 42.8%, with high BSA protein adsorption of 0.39 mg of BSA per gm of the scaffold at 24 h incubation period. Furthermore, in-vitro MG-63 cell culture study onto the fabricated SF 80 /CH 20 scaffold elicited excellent MG-63 cell attachment with better biocompatibility and cell viability with increased F-action production from day 3 to day 7 of the cell culture period. In vivo bone defect healing in a rabbit tibia model revealed excellent bone healing capacity in SF 80 /CH 20 scaffold implanted specimens compared to control ones, as evident from histology and fluorochrome labeling analysis.