In vitro and in vivo evaluation of effectiveness of a novel TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofiber-silk fibroin scaffold in wound healing

In this study, a novel TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofiber (TOCN)-silk fibroin scaffold was prepared using a cost effective freeze drying method. Fundamental physical characterizations were carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), pore diameter determination, FT-IR. PBS uptake behavior of the scaffold showed that, silk fibroin can enhance the swelling capacity of TOCN. L929 primary fibroblast cell was selected for in vitro studies, which showed that the scaffolds facilitated growth of cells. In vivo evaluation of TOCN, TOCN-silk fibroin composites was examined using critical sized rat skin excisional model for one and two weeks. The results of rat wound model revealed that, compared to only TOCN scaffold, TOCN-silk fibroin scaffold successfully promoted wound healing by the expression of wound healing markers. TOCN-silk fibroin 2% has the fastest wound healing capacity. Thus, it appears that TOCN-silk fibroin composite scaffolds can be useful as wound healing material in clinical applications.