Cell-seeded microcarriers (MCs) are currently one of the most promising topics in biotechnology. These systems are supportive structures for cell growth and expansion that allow efficient nutrient and gas transfer between the media and the attached cells. Silk proteins have been increasingly used for this purpose in the past few years due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability and non-toxicity. To date, several silk fibroin spherical MCs in combination with alginate, gelatin and calcium phosphates have been reported with very interesting outcomes. In addition, other silk-based three-dimensional structures such as microparticles with chitosan and collagen, as well as organoids, have been increasingly studied. In this study, the physicochemical and biological properties of these biomaterials, as well as the recent methodologies for their processing and for cell culture, are discussed. The potential biomedical applications are also addressed. In addition, an analysis of the future perspectives is presented, where the potential of innovative silk-based MCs processing technologies is highlighted.

中文翻译：

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丝基微载体：当前发展和未来前景

细胞接种微载体（MC）是目前生物技术中最有前途的主题之一。这些系统是细胞生长和扩张的支持结构，允许培养基和附着细胞之间有效的营养和气体转移。丝蛋白由于其生物相容性、生物可降解性和无毒性，在过去几年中越来越多地用于此目的。迄今为止，已经报道了几种丝素蛋白球形MC与海藻酸盐、明胶和磷酸钙的组合，取得了非常有趣的结果。此外，其他基于丝的三维结构，例如含有壳聚糖和胶原蛋白的微粒以及类器官，也得到了越来越多的研究。在这项研究中，讨论了这些生物材料的物理化学和生物学特性，以及其加工和细胞培养的最新方法。还讨论了潜在的生物医学应用。此外，还对未来前景进行了分析，强调了创新型丝基MC加工技术的潜力。