Silk Fibroin/Wool Keratin Composite Scaffold with Hierarchical Fibrous and Porous Structure

The present study describes a silk microfiber reinforced meniscus scaffold (SMRMS) with hierarchical fibrous and porous structure made from silk fibroin (SF) and wool keratin (WK) using electrospinning and freeze-drying technology. This study focuses on the morphology, secondary structure, mechanical properties, and water absorption properties of the scaffold. The cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of SMRMS are assessed in vivo and in vitro. The scaffold shows hierarchical fibrous and porous structure, hierarchical pore size distribution (ranges from 50 to 650 µm), robust mechanical properties (compression strength can reach at 2.8 MPa), and stable biodegradability. A positive growth condition revealed by in vitro cytotoxicity testing indicates that the scaffold is not hazardous to cells. In vivo assessments of biocompatibility reveal that only a mild inflammatory reaction is present in implanted rat tissue. Meniscal scaffold made of SF/WK composite shows a potential application prospect in the meniscal repair engineering field with its development.