Paladini Federica, Lanzillotti Carmen, Panico Angelica, Pollini Mauro
Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
Caresilk S.r.l.s., Via Monteroni c/o Technological District DHITECH, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
Nanomaterials (Basel). 2025 Jun 13;15(12):919. doi: 10.3390/nano15120919.
Chronic wounds represent a major clinical challenge due to their prolonged healing process and susceptibility to bacterial colonization, particularly by biofilm-forming bacteria. To address these issues, in this work, silver-treated silk fibroin scaffolds were developed and tested as multifunctional wound dressings, combining antimicrobial and regenerative properties. Silk fibroin, a natural protein derived from cocoons, is widely recognized for its biocompatibility and suitability for tissue engineering. In this study, porous silk fibroin scaffolds were functionalized with silver nanoparticles through a photo-reduction process and were comprehensively tested for their cytocompatibility and wound healing potential. The excellent antibacterial activity of the silver-treated scaffolds was demonstrated against and antibiotic-resistant , as was extensively reported in a previous work. Biological assays were performed using 3T3 fibroblasts cultured on both untreated and silver-treated silk fibroin scaffolds. Biocompatibility assays, such as MTT, Live/Dead, and cytoskeleton analyses, demonstrated biocompatibility in both scaffold types, comparable to the control. Wound healing potential was assessed using in vitro scratch assays, revealing full wound closure (100%) after 24 h in cells cultured with untreated and silver-treated silk fibroin scaffolds, in contrast to 78.5% closure in the control. Notably, silver-treated scaffolds exhibited enhanced fibroblast repopulation within the wound gap, suggesting a synergistic effect of silver and fibroin in promoting tissue regeneration. These findings demonstrate that silver-treated silk fibroin scaffolds possess both anti-microbial and regenerative properties, making them promising candidates for chronic wound management applications.
慢性伤口由于其愈合过程漫长且易受细菌定植影响，尤其是被形成生物膜的细菌定植，因此是一个重大的临床挑战。为了解决这些问题，在本研究中，开发了经银处理的丝素蛋白支架并作为多功能伤口敷料进行测试，该支架兼具抗菌和再生特性。丝素蛋白是一种从蚕茧中提取的天然蛋白质，因其生物相容性和适用于组织工程而被广泛认可。在本研究中，通过光还原过程用银纳米颗粒对多孔丝素蛋白支架进行功能化处理，并对其细胞相容性和伤口愈合潜力进行了全面测试。如先前工作中广泛报道的那样，经银处理的支架对金黄色葡萄球菌和耐抗生素金黄色葡萄球菌均表现出优异的抗菌活性。使用在未处理和经银处理的丝素蛋白支架上培养的3T3成纤维细胞进行生物学测定。生物相容性测定，如MTT、活/死和细胞骨架分析，表明两种支架类型均具有生物相容性，与对照组相当。使用体外划痕试验评估伤口愈合潜力，结果显示，在用未处理和经银处理的丝素蛋白支架培养的细胞中，24小时后伤口完全闭合（100%），而对照组的伤口闭合率为78.5%。值得注意的是，经银处理的支架在伤口间隙内表现出增强的成纤维细胞再填充，表明银和丝素蛋白在促进组织再生方面具有协同作用。这些发现表明，经银处理的丝素蛋白支架兼具抗菌和再生特性，使其成为慢性伤口管理应用的有前途的候选材料。
