Synthesis and characterization of injectable thermosensitive hydrogel based on Pluronic-grafted silk fibroin copolymer containing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles as potential for bone tissue engineering

Abstract

Injectable hydrogels are promising for bone tissue engineering due to their minimally invasive application and adaptability to irregular defects. This study presents the development of pluronic grafted silk fibroin (PF-127-g-SF), a temperature-sensitive graft copolymer synthesized from SF and modified PF-127 via a carbodiimide coupling reaction. The PF-127-g-SF copolymer exhibited a higher sol-gel transition temperature (34 °C at 16 % w/v) compared to PF-127 (23 °C), making it suitable for injectable applications. It also showed improved flexibility and strength, with a yielding point increase from <10 % to nearly 30 %. Unlike PF-127 gel, which degrades within 72 h in aqueous media, the PF-127-g-SF copolymer maintained a stable gel structure for over two weeks due to its robust crosslinked hydrogel network. Incorporating hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (n-HA) into the hydrogel reduced pore size and decreased swelling and degradation rates, extending structural stability to four weeks. Increasing n-HA concentration from 0 % to 20 % reduced porosity from 80 % to 66 %. Rheological studies indicated that n-HA enhanced the scaffold's strength and mechanical properties without altering gelation temperature. Cellular studies with MG-63 cells showed that n-HA concentration influenced cell viability and mineralization, highlighting the scaffold's potential in bone tissue engineering.