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Tough and hierarchically-structured silk hydrogel for artificial tendons.

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Title: Tough and hierarchically-structured silk hydrogel for artificial tendons.
Authors: Zhou, Sicheng1,2 (AUTHOR), Nie, Kexin1,3,4 (AUTHOR), Wu, Boxuan1,3,4 (AUTHOR), Qin, Congcong1 (AUTHOR), Tian, Jingyi3 (AUTHOR), Li, Lele3,4 (AUTHOR), Fan, Zhang4 (AUTHOR), Yin, Zi1,2,5 (AUTHOR), Ouyang, Hongwei1,2,3,4,5 (AUTHOR), Chen, Xiao1,2,5 (AUTHOR) chenxiao-610@zju.edu.cn, Shen, Weiliang1,2,5 (AUTHOR), Huang, Wenwen1,3,4,5,6,7 (AUTHOR) wenwenhuang@intl.zju.edu.cn
Source: Biomaterials. Nov2026, Vol. 334, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subjects: Tendons, Silk fibroin, Tendon injuries, Biomaterials, Tensile strength, Directional solidification, Tissue engineering
Abstract: Tendon injuries are prevalent in both athletic and general populations, leading to significant pain, lost productivity, and disabilities. However, surgical reconstruction of ruptured tendons remains a clinical challenge and requires tough, regenerative artificial tendons to promote functional restoration. Here, inspired by the structure of native tendons, we introduce a facile approach that synergistically combines directional-freezing and hot-stretching strategies to produce tough and hierarchically-structured silk hydrogels, named DFHS hydrogels, for artificial tendons. At a high water content of about 70 wt%, DFHS hydrogels exhibit an ultimate tensile strength of 13.9 MPa, comparable to human anterior cruciate ligament, and a fracture toughness of 45.5 kJ m−2, 5 times as high as natural rubber. Additionally, the high crystallinity and aligned multi-level structures prolong the degradation and thus improve long-term integrity and mechanical stability both in vitro and in vivo. DFHS hydrogels exhibit multi-level anisotropy, featuring micrometer-scale honeycomb-like pore walls that harbor nanoscale-oriented β-sheets. These bioinspired topological niches induce significant cell alignment, guide the ingrowth of neo-tendon, upregulate pathways related to the extracellular matrix, promote mature tendon formation, and thereby facilitate tendon healing. This strategy, transferable to other semicrystalline polymers, presents a water-based fabrication approach for the development of tough hydrogels toward clinical translations. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:Tendon injuries are prevalent in both athletic and general populations, leading to significant pain, lost productivity, and disabilities. However, surgical reconstruction of ruptured tendons remains a clinical challenge and requires tough, regenerative artificial tendons to promote functional restoration. Here, inspired by the structure of native tendons, we introduce a facile approach that synergistically combines directional-freezing and hot-stretching strategies to produce tough and hierarchically-structured silk hydrogels, named DFHS hydrogels, for artificial tendons. At a high water content of about 70 wt%, DFHS hydrogels exhibit an ultimate tensile strength of 13.9 MPa, comparable to human anterior cruciate ligament, and a fracture toughness of 45.5 kJ m−2, 5 times as high as natural rubber. Additionally, the high crystallinity and aligned multi-level structures prolong the degradation and thus improve long-term integrity and mechanical stability both in vitro and in vivo. DFHS hydrogels exhibit multi-level anisotropy, featuring micrometer-scale honeycomb-like pore walls that harbor nanoscale-oriented β-sheets. These bioinspired topological niches induce significant cell alignment, guide the ingrowth of neo-tendon, upregulate pathways related to the extracellular matrix, promote mature tendon formation, and thereby facilitate tendon healing. This strategy, transferable to other semicrystalline polymers, presents a water-based fabrication approach for the development of tough hydrogels toward clinical translations. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:01429612
DOI:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2026.124294