Silk Fibroin-Based Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering
Summary
Silk fibroin, a protein derived from silkworm cocoons, has emerged as a versatile biomaterial for bone tissue engineering. Its combination of high mechanical strength, biocompatibility and controllable biodegradation makes it ideally suited to mimic the extracellular matrix of native bone. Through a range of fabrication techniques—including freeze-drying, freeze-casting, electrospinning and 3D bioprinting—silk fibroin can be shaped into porous scaffolds, hydrogels and composite constructs. These structures support cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation, and can be functionalised with mineral phases (such as hydroxyapatite or collagen), growth factors or bioactive ions to enhance osteoconductivity, osteoinduction and immunomodulation. By promoting neovascularisation and guiding mesenchymal stem cells towards osteogenic lineages, silk fibroin scaffolds offer a promising route to repair critical-sized defects, accelerate bone regeneration in load-bearing sites and advance clinical translation for complex orthopaedic indications.
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Silk Fibroin-Based Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in silk fibroin-based scaffolds for bone tissue engineering across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Silk fibroin: A structural protein from silkworm cocoons with high strength and biocompatibility.
Scaffold: A three-dimensional porous structure designed to support cell growth and tissue formation.
Osteogenesis: The process of new bone formation by osteoblasts.
Mesenchymal stem cells: Multipotent progenitor cells capable of differentiating into osteoblasts, chondrocytes and other lineages.
Neovascularisation: The formation of new blood vessels within regenerating tissue.
Immunomodulation: The alteration of immune cell behaviour to support tissue repair.
References
- Oriented Cortical‐Bone‐Like Silk Protein Lamellae Effectively Repair Large Segmental Bone Defects in Pigs. Advanced Materials (2025).
- Functionalized bio-spinning silk fiber scaffolds containing Mg 2+ with osteoimmunomodulatory and osteogenesis abilities for critical-sized bone defect regeneration. Materials Futures (2025).
- Biodegradable silk fibroin scaffold doped with mineralized collagen induces bone regeneration in rat cranial defects. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (2023).
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