Functionalized silk promotes cell migration into calcium phosphate cements by providing macropores and cell adhesion motifs

Calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) are attractive synthetic bone grafts as they possess osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties. Their biomimetic synthesis grants them an intrinsic nano- microporosity that resembles natural is paramount for biological processes such protein adhesion, which can later enhance cell adhesion. However, a main limitation of CPCs the lack macroporosity, crucial to allow colonization throughout scaffold. Moreover, specific motifs guide interactions through their membrane proteins. In this study, we explore strategy targeting simultaneously both macroporosity binding within by use recombinant silk. A silk functionalized with motif RGD serves foaming template achieve hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds multiscale porosity. The synergies RGD-motifs in macroporous features HA explored potential mesenchymal stem proliferation, migration differentiation. Macroporous Silk-HA improve initial adhesion compared absence silk, importantly, presence greatly enhances into Additionally, proliferation osteogenic differentiation achieved scaffolds.