Functional Skin Grafts: Where Biomaterials Meet Stem Cells

Figure 2

The panel illustrates the processing of silk fibroin solution into various scaffold morphologies by exploiting the physicochemical properties of silk fibroin. (a) Schematic showing the stages of 3D bioprinting: silk fibroin solution is isolated from Bombyx mori cocoons in the form of an aqueous solution. The sol to gel transition of this aqueous silk fibroin solution is induced using different cross-linking methods (chemical, physical). Once the rheology is optimized, the silk fibroin hydrogel is mixed with cells and 3D bioprinting is executed under applied pressure (pneumatic or mechanical). (b) Silk fibroin solution is processed in the form of 2D planar films, lyophilized scaffold with 3D porous morphology, and nanofibrous electrospun mats. Scanning electron micrographs demonstrate enhanced cell adhesion, characteristic fibroblastic morphology, and ECM deposition by cultured IHF on 3D scaffolds (lyophilized and electrospun; yellow arrows) as compared to distorted morphology on 2D films (red arrows). . Abbreviations: IHF—immortalized human fibroblasts; ECM—extracellular matrix.

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