The paper describes the preparation of a porous bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF)/wool keratin (WK) composite scaffold with mimic structure and function for cartilage tissue engineering. A porous composite scaffold made from SF/WK in an appropriate concentration and mass ratio was prepared using a freeze-drying technique. Results showed that the composite scaffolds are water-insoluble; possess good mechanical properties, porosity above 80%, and pore size above 200 μm. Larger pore size and better connectivity of the composite scaffold than the pure SF scaffolds were contributed by the WK addition. The heat resistance and water-swelling of WK enhanced the thermal and mechanical properties of the composite scaffolds. In vitro cytotoxicity assessments showed cells with a good growth state, confirming no toxicity to the cells. The results of in vivo biocompatibility assessments exhibited that there is almost no inflammatory response in the implantation site tissue of the rats. The development of porous SF/WK composite scaffold has the potential in cartilage tissue engineering.

该论文描述了一种用于软骨组织工程的具有模拟结构和功能的多孔家蚕丝素蛋白 (SF)/羊毛角蛋白 (WK) 复合支架的制备。使用冷冻干燥技术制备了以适当的浓度和质量比由 SF/WK 制成的多孔复合支架。结果表明复合支架不溶于水；具有良好的力学性能，孔隙率在80%以上，孔径在200 μm以上。与纯 SF 支架相比，复合支架更大的孔径和更好的连接性是由 WK 添加贡献的。WK 的耐热性和吸水性增强了复合支架的热性能和机械性能。体外细胞毒性评估显示细胞具有良好的生长状态，证实对细胞没有毒性。结果在体内的生物相容性评估表现出的是，几乎没有在大鼠的植入部位的组织的炎症反应。多孔SF/WK复合支架的开发在软骨组织工程中具有潜力。