Anisotropic Tussah Silk Nanofiber Scaffolds for Accelerating Wound Repair

Scaffolds with anisotropic structures are attractive for wound repair due to their enhanced ability to promote cell adhesion, migration, and tissue growth. In this study, anisotropic tussah silk nanofiber scaffolds were developed through physical shearing, sodium hydroxide alkaline hydrolysis, and ice templating to accelerate wound healing. The anisotropic tussah silk nanofiber scaffolds demonstrated radial and aligned structures, which would influence cell behavior and tissue regeneration. In vitro cell studies demonstrated that the radial and aligned structures facilitated the proliferation, directional migration and growth of fibroblasts. Furthermore, the disorded, aligned and radial scaffolds were investigated to elucidate the effect of the different structures on wound healing. In vivo results indicated that the radial scaffold achieved the fastest healing rate likely due to a higher degree of vascularization and tissue growth from the periphery to the center guided by the scaffold. Taken together, biomimetic tussah silk nanofiber scaffolds with radial structure performed the best in wound healing, offering promising applications in skin wound healing.