Silver nitrate-assisted photo-crosslinking for enhancing the mechanical properties of an alginate/silk fibroin-based 3D scaffold

Abstract

Scaffolds play a pivotal role in tissue engineering and serve as vital biological substitutes, providing structural support for cell adhesion and subsequent tissue development. An ideal scaffold must possess mechanical properties suitable for tissue function and exhibit biodegradability. Although synthetic polymer scaffolds offer high rigidity and elasticity owing to their reactive side groups, which facilitate tailored mechanical and rheological properties, they may lack biological cues and cause persistent side effects during degradation. To address these challenges, natural polymers have garnered attention owing to their inherent bioactivity and biocompatibility. However, natural polymers such as silk fibroin (SF) and tyramine-modified alginate (AT) have limitations, including uncontrolled mechanical properties and weak structural integrity. In this study, we developed a blend of SF and AT as a printable biomaterial for extrusion-based 3D printing. Using photocrosslinkable SF/AT inks facilitated the fabrication of complex scaffolds with high printability, thereby enhancing their structural stability. The incorporation of silver nitrate facilitated the tunability of mechanical and rheological behaviors. SF/AT scaffolds with varying stiffness in the physiologically relevant range for soft tissues (51-246 kPa) exhibited excellent biocompatibility, indicating their promising potential for diverse applications in tissue engineering.