A novel nanocomposite particle of hydroxyapatite and silk fibroin: Biomimetic synthesis and its biocompatibility

A novel bone-like biomaterial of hydroxyapatite (HAP) and silk fibroin (SF) composite was developed by biomimetic synthesis. The composite was precipitated from drops of Ca(OH)₂ suspension and H₃PO₄ solution with SF. With this method, the HAP nanocrystals were obtained by self-assembling on a SF surface whose c-axis was aligned with the long-axis direction of SF in microstructures; this shares the same misconstrues of collagen and HAP with that in the natural bone. The HAP/SF composite then demonstrated that it could promote osteoblast proliferation in vitro and new bone formation in vivo. The novel biomaterial is a promising material for bone replacement and regeneration.