Angiogenic effect of salt-leached Thai silk fibroin scaffolds with human adipose-derived stem cells

Abstract

Angiogenesis plays important role in tissue regeneration. Biomaterials that allow and promote angiogenesis are thus beneficial. Silk fibroin (SF) scaffolds are good candidates for angiogenesis activation because of the biodegradability, biocompatibility, and interaction of extracellular matrices. Human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are also promising for tissue regeneration. This study thus aims to investigate the angiogenic potential of SF scaffolds with/without ADSCs on chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). Firstly, the SF scaffolds were fabricated with a porosity of 77.34 ± 16.96% and a pore diameter of 513.95 µm. Then, ADSCs were seeded on SF scaffolds (SF-ADSC scaffolds) and placed on CAM on an embryonic day 8 (E8) to assess the angiogenic property. The result revealed that SF-ADSC scaffolds induced a spoked wheel-pattern of the capillary network on E11. The SF scaffolds without ADSCs induced the same pattern of angiogenesis later on E14. The cytotoxicity tests and angioirritative study reconfirmed the biocompatibility of the SF scaffolds. Cryosections (30 µm) were obtained from the middle of the SF-ADSC scaffolds, and a histological study showed penetration of blood vessels into the scaffolds. In conclusion, this work highlighted the acceleration of angiogenesis from SF- ADSC scaffolds, and, therefore, they are beneficial for tissue regeneration.