Composite silk fibroin hydrogel scaffolds for cartilage tissue regeneration

Cartilage tissue engineering is becoming increasingly popular for repairing cartilage defects. However, lack of nerves and blood vessels, as well as low cell density cause inadequate cartilage tissue regeneration. As a result, it is critical to create an appropriate microenvironment for chondrocyte proliferation. Hydrogels, as three-dimensional cross-linked polymeric networks, are considered promising alternatives to cartilage tissue due to their high-water content, viscoelasticity, and resemblance to the articular cartilage extracellular matrix. Silk fibroin hydrogels of Bombyx mori, a natural polymer, have recently been widely used to regenerate cartilage due to their ability to mimic the extracellular matrix of cartilage and endurability. For this purpose, silk fibroin is frequently combined with other materials. Composite silk fibroin hydrogels have shown strong potential for cartilage regeneration. This review explains various composite silk fibroin hydrogels studied for cartilage regeneration, as well as their advantages over single SF scaffolds.