Bioengineered silk fibroin/chitosan nanofibrous scaffolds: A biomimetic platform for advanced skin tissue regeneration and repair

This study reports the fabrication of a silk fibroin (SF)/chitosan (CS) nanofibrous scaffold via electrospinning for advanced skin tissue regeneration. Ethanol treatment induced a marked β-sheet transition in SF, as confirmed by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, thereby enhancing thermal stability, mechanical strength, and dimensional stability. The optimized SF/CS scaffold achieved 100 % antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli within 24 h, supported adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of L929 fibroblasts and MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts, and exhibited excellent hemocompatibility (hemolysis rate: 3.29 ± 1.13 %). Molecular docking revealed stable SF–CS interactions through hydrogen bonding (e.g., GLU28, ASP29) and hydrophobic contacts (binding energy: –5.7 kcal/mol). Compared with clinical-grade polyurethane (hemolysis rate: 3.05 ± 0.45 %), the SF/CS scaffold demonstrated equivalent blood safety while offering superior biodegradation control and bioactivity. Collectively, these results establish ethanol-treated SF/CS nanofibrous scaffolds as multifunctional biomaterials with strong potential for chronic wound healing and full-thickness skin repair.