Silk Fibroin-Based Hybrid Nanostructured Coatings for Titanium Implantable Surfaces Modification

This study proposes the development of new architectures that combine nanostructured titanium surface and biodegradable polymers as a promising approach to achieve a better performance after bioactive agent incorporation. The silk fibroin protein that was extracted from silkworm Bombyx mori cocoons is important due to the remarkable characteristics, such as biocompatibility, good mechanical properties, adjustable degradation and drug stabilizing capabilities. The titanium substrate was firstly nanostructurated with TiO2 nanotubes and then coated with silk fibroin using electrospinning and electrochemical deposition. The deposited silk film ability to become a bioactive implant coating with antibacterial properties after the encapsulation of the active agents such as CeO2 was investigated. Important features of the new implant coating were analysed: surface properties, electrochemical stability in physiological simulated electrolytes, and antibacterial action against Escherichia coli. The obtained results indicate that silk fibroin bioactive layers are a potential candidate for regenerative medicine.