Robust Alcohol Soluble Polyurethane/Chitosan/Silk Sericin (APU/CS/SS) Nanofiber Scaffolds Toward Artificial Skin Extracellular Matrices via Microfluidic Blow-Spinning

Abstract: Skin regeneration is a matter of high concern since many individuals suffer from skin damage. To date, the concept of protein-based artificial skin scaffolds have been successfully applied and proven in skin regeneration. However, realizing a skin tissue scaffold with a skin-like extracellular matrix (ECM) that combines low price, good biocompatibility, excellent antibacterial properties, good cell adhesion, and strong mechanical properties is still a major challenge. In this study, inexpensive silk sericin (SS) protein-based artificial skin nanofiber scaffolds (NFSs) with excellent biological activity, no immune rejection, and high mechanical strength were fabricated via microfluidic blow-spinning (MBS). In particular, the as-prepared NFS was transformed from a random coil structure to a β -sheet structure by using the MBS in high-speed shear chips to improve its stability and mechanical strength. Additionally, through in vitro and in vivo studies, it was shown that SS protein-based artificial skin NFSs possessed excellent antibacterial effects and degradability properties, as well as accelerated tissue granulation growth, effectively promoting full skin wound healing and skin regeneration for medical problems worldwide. Thus, this skin ECM-inspired NFS offers new perspectives for accelerating wound healing and tissue regeneration and provides potential applications for clinical medicine. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].