Silver Nitrate-assisted Photo-crosslinking for Improving the Mechanical Properties of Silk Fibroin/alginate-based 3D Scaffold

초록

Scaffolds play a pivotal role in tissue engineering, serving as vital biological substitutes that provide structural support for cell adhesion and subsequent tissue development. An ideal scaffold must possess mechanical properties appropriate for the target tissue and exhibit controlled biodegradability. While synthetic polymer-based scaffolds offer high rigidity and elasticity owing to their reactive side groups, which facilitate tailored mechanical and rheological properties, they often lack bioactive cues. They may cause persistent side effects during degradation. To overcome these challenges, natural polymers have garnered attention due to their inherent biocompatibility and bioactivity. However, natural polymers such as silk fibroin (SF) and tyraminemodified alginate (AT) have limitations, including uncontrolled mechanical properties and weak structural integrity. In this study, a blend of SF and AT was developed as a printable biomaterial for extrusion-based 3D printing. Using photo-crosslinkable SF/AT inks facilitated the fabrication of complex scaffolds with high printability, thereby enhancing their structural stability. The incorporation of silver facilitated the tunability of mechanical and rheological properties. SF/AT scaffolds demonstrated adjustable stiffness within the physiologically relevant range for soft tissues (51-246 kPa) and exhibited excellent biocompatibility, highlighting their promising potential for diverse applications in tissue engineering.