Nanoscale engineering of silk fibroin scaffold architecture to repair patient-specific cancer defects

Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF)-based scaffolds were engineered by modulating SF solution parameters. Three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds were fabricated, and microstructure and mechanical properties were characterized. Silk solution parameters of SF scaffolds such as SF solution concentration (0.91-3.33% (w/v)), filter size (0.22, 0.45, 100. μm), pH (4, 5.5, 7.4), and ion concentration (no PBS, 0.1× PBS, 1× PBS) were altered. SF solution particle size was measured using dynamic light scattering (DLS); the 3D architecture of SF scaffolds was characterized by scanning electron microscopy; mechanical properties of SF scaffolds were determined using uniaxial tensile testing; and conformational changes in SF scaffolds were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). We found that changes in the SF solution particle size affected the microstructure (e.g., fibril size), mechanical properties, and polymer chain conformation, all of which a function of SF solution conditions. These SF solution properties can be tuned/designed/engineered to achieve biomaterial scaffolds for clinically translatable applications of reconstruction and repair of defects in cancer patients per clinical and patient-specific need.