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J Mater Sci: Mater Med (2008) 19:35453553 DOI 10.1007/s10856-008-3526-y
Silk broin/chitosan scaffold: preparation, characterization, and culture with HepG2 cell
Zhending She Chenrui Jin Zhi Huang Bofeng Zhang Qingling Feng Yingxin Xu
Received: 15 November 2007 / Accepted: 25 June 2008 / Published online: 15 July 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2008
Abstract Tissue engineering requires the development of three-dimensional water-stable scaffolds. In this study, silk broin/chitosan (SFCS) scaffold was successfully prepared by freeze-drying method. The scaffold is water-stable, only swelling to a limited extent depending on its composition. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra and X-Ray diffraction curves conrmed the different structure of SFCS scaffolds from both chitosan and silk broin. The homogeneous porous structure, together with nano-scale compatibility of the two naturally derived polymers, gives rise to the controllable mechanical properties of SFCS scaffolds. By varying the composition, both the compressive modulus and compressive strength of SFCS scaffolds can be controlled. The porosity of SFCS scaffolds is above 95% when the total concentration of silk broin and chitosan is below 6 wt%. The pore sizes of the SFCS scaffolds range from 100 lm to 150 lm, which can be regulated by changing the total concentration. MTT assay showed that SFCS scaffolds can promote the proliferation of HepG2 cells (human hepatoma cell line) signicantly. All these results make SFCS scaffold a suitable candidate for tissue engineering.
1 Introduction
Severe organ donor shortage, high cost, and life-long requirement of immunosuppressive drugs limit the therapeutic approach of orthotopic liver transplantations, which have saved many patients lives [1]. Liver tissue engineering, aiming to construct an implantable liver, has the potential to alleviate the organ donor shortage. As an important part of tissue engineering, three-dimensional scaffolds are benecial, because they provide a place for attachment, increase surface area, support a large cell mass, and are capable of shaping specic structures [24]. In order to construct actively metabolizing tissue, liver tissue engineering requires the scaffold to provide the seeded cells with proper environmental cues, factors for growth and either a prevascularized site or a porous structure allowing for angiogenesis [5, 6]. Many synthetic polymers, including polylactic acid (PLA), polyglycolic acid (PGA), and polylactic glycolic acid (PLGA), have been used as three-dimensional scaffold materials [3, 7, 8]. Lack of active groups, slow...