J. Mater. Sci. Technol. ›› 2023, Vol. 146: 102-112.DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2022.10.031

• Research Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Biomimetic melatonin-loaded silk fibroin/GelMA scaffold strengthens cartilage repair through retrieval of mitochondrial functions

Mingzhuang Houa,b,1, Yijian Zhanga,b,1, Yang Liua,b,1, Xiaoyang Gea,b, Xiayu Hua,b, Zhijian Zhaoa,b, Xin Tiana,b, Tao Liua,b, Huilin Yanga,b, Xi Chenc,*, Fan Hea,b,*, Xuesong Zhua,b,*   

  1. aDepartment of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China;
    bOrthopaedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou 215007, China;
    cDepartment of Pathology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
  • Received:2022-04-26 Revised:2022-10-06 Accepted:2022-10-07 Published:2023-05-20 Online:2023-05-15
  • Contact: * E-mail addresses: chenxi1124@suda.edu.cn (X. Chen), fanhe@suda.edu.cn (F. He), zhuxs@suda.edu.cn (X. Zhu)
  • About author:1 These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract: Articular cartilage injury induced by collision or trauma is a common sports-related condition that may progress to pain, dysfunction, and secondary osteoarthritis (OA). Limited by self-renewal potential, cartilage regeneration faces a quandary while bio-inspired novel strategies are urgently required. In this study, by a soft freezing method and surface modification technique, a multi-functional silk fibroin (SF) plus gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) scaffold laden with melatonin (MT) was prepared. SF-GelMA@MT scaffold demonstrated enhanced biomechanical characteristics and long-acting melatonin release. In vitro treatment with SF-GelMA@MT induced the synthesis of cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Mechanistically, sustained release of melatonin yielded robust chondroprotective effects via improving mitochondrial polarization and antioxidant properties. SF-GelMA@MT implantation boosted cartilage renascence in a full-thickness cartilage defect model via mitochondria-associated sirtuins 1 (SIRT1)-superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) signaling pathway in vivo. In summary, this research proposed a well-designed bionic composite scaffold that promotes cartilage regeneration via mitochondrial function enhancement, which is of tremendous potential for cartilage tissue engineering.

Key words: Cartilage injury, Silk fibroin, Gelatin methacrylate, Melatonin, Mitochondria