Silk fibroin/chitosan/TGF-β1-loaded microsphere scaffolds for cartilage reparation.

BACKGROUND Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) plays an important role in chondrocyte growth and the synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM). Due to the rapid metabolism, controlled release systems for TGF-β1 have attracted increasing interest recently. OBJECTIVE In this study, a silk fibroin (SF)/chitosan (CS) scaffold incorporated with TGF-β1-loaded microspheres (MSs) was created for cartilage reparation. METHOD The optimal proportion of the SF/CS composite scaffold was determined by evaluating their micromorphology and the proliferation rate of fibroblasts on the surface. Then, SF/CS/TGF-β1-loaded MS scaffolds were prepared by the adsorption method. TGF-β1 release capacity, degradation patterns, cytocompatibility and in vivo implantation were evaluted. RESULTS The SF/CS/TGF-β1-loaded MS scaffold showed good TGF-β1 release over more than 16 days, which could sequentially stimulate chondrocyte synthetic activity. In vitro cell proliferation experiments showed the SF/CS/TGF-β1-loaded MS scaffold could promote chondrocytes adhesion, growth, proliferation and maintained the cellular morphology. An in vivo study demonstrated that a low inflammatory response was observed in rats and that the materials exhibited good biocompatibility. CONCLUSION the results indicated that our SF/CS/TGF-β1-loaded MS scaffold constitute a promising therapeutic option for cartilage reparation.