Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39548941›Full record

ArticleSmall (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)2025

Probing the Interplay of Protein Self-Assembly and Covalent Bond Formation in Photo-Crosslinked Silk Fibroin Hydrogels.

Hien A Tran, Anton Maraldo, Trinh Thi-Phuong Ho, Mai Thanh Thai, Quinn van Hilst, Habib Joukhdar, Marija Kordanovski, Jugal Kishore Sahoo, Onur Hartsuk, Miguel Santos and 6 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Living Hydrogels: Harnessing Microorganism-Material Synergy for Next-Generation Therapeutics.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Hien A TranGraduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
Anton MaraldoGraduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
Trinh Thi-Phuong HoGraduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
Mai Thanh ThaiGraduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
Quinn van HilstChronic Diseases Theme, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Habib JoukhdarGraduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
Marija KordanovskiGraduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
Jugal Kishore SahooDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston, MA, 02155, USA.
Onur HartsukDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston, MA, 02155, USA.
Miguel SantosChronic Diseases Theme, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Steven G WiseChronic Diseases Theme, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
David L KaplanDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston, MA, 02155, USA.
Thanh Nho DoGraduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
Kristopher A KilianSchool of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
Khoon S LimChronic Diseases Theme, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Jelena Rnjak-KovacinaGraduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6121-4676

Funding

Engineered microtumor arrays for development of combination therapiesR01CA251443 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES · PI COPLAND, JOHN A., KILIAN, KRISTOPHER ALAN · 2020 to 2024
$998k
Army Research Office W911NF2120130Australian Research Council DP210103654Australian Research Council DP230101804Australian Research Council FT210100668National Health and Medical Research Council APP1185021National Heart Foundation of Australia 105622NCI NIH HHS R01 CA251443NIH HHS R01CA251443Research Infrastructure ProgramScientia ProgramUniversity of New South Wales
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Covalent crosslinking of silk fibroin via native tyrosine residues has been extensively explored; however, while these materials are very promising for biomedical, optical, soft robotics, and sensor applications, their structure and mechanical properties are unstable over time. This instability results in spontaneous silk self-assembly and stiffening over time, a process that is poorly understood. This study investigates the interplay between self-assembly and di-tyrosine bond formation in silk hydrogels photo-crosslinked using ruthenium (Ru) and sodium persulfate (SPS) with visible light. The effects of silk concentration, molecular weight, Ru/SPS concentration, and solvent conditions are examined. The Ru/SPS system enables rapid crosslinking, achieving gelation within seconds and incorporating over 90% of silk into the network, even at very low protein concentrations (≥0.75% wt/v). A model emerges where silk self-assembly both before and after crosslinking affects protein phase separation, mesoscale structure, and dynamic changes in the hydrogel network over time. Silk concentration has the greatest impact on hydrogel properties, with higher silk concentration hydrogels experiencing two orders of magnitude increase in stiffness within 1 week. This new understanding and ability to tune hydrogel properties and dynamic stiffening aids in developing advanced materials for 4D biofabrication, sensing, 3D cancer models, drug delivery, and soft robotics.

Indexed as

Cross-Linking ReagentsFibroinsHydrogelsLightAnimalsSilkCross-Linking ReagentsFibroinsHydrogelsSilkbeta‐sheet transitiondi‐tyrosinehydrogelsphoto‐crosslinkingself‐assemblysilk

Identifiers

PMID39548941
PMCPMC12019910

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.