Development and Characterization of Methacrylated Silk Fibroin (Sil-MA) for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Silk fibroin (SF) from Bombyx mori cocoons shows strong potential for biomedical use, especially in bone tissue engineering, due to its biocompatibility and mechanical properties. This study focused on synthesizing SF and modifying it with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) to create methacrylated SF (Sil-MA), which improves printability for 3D bioprinting. Adjusting the pH to basic conditions (~9–11) during dialysis reduced premature gelation, and FTIR analysis confirmed partial chemical modification, highlighting the importance of process control in producing effective Sil-MA bioinks.

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