Enzyme-Mediated Crosslinking of Silk Fibroin/N-Acetylcysteine-Modified Chitosan/Hydroxyapatite Hydrogel Composites for Subchondral Bone Regeneration

The results of comprehensive physicochemical, morphological, structural, and biological analyses of hydrogel composites based on silk fibroin, N-acetylcysteine-modified chitosan, and hydroxyapatite are presented. The materials were developed via enzyme-mediated crosslinking and evaluated in terms of their potential application in subchondral bone regeneration. The work was supported by the National Science Centre, Poland, under the research project “Hierarchical approaches for osteochondral tissue engineering”, no. UMO-2022/45/B/ST8/02557.