# Characterization and Migration Activity of Thermoresponsive Silk Fibroin–Aloe Vera Gel in Normal and Diabetic Fibroblasts

## TL;DR

A new thermoresponsive gel combining silk fibroin and Aloe vera improves fibroblast migration in diabetic wound healing conditions.

## Contribution

First evaluation of a thermoresponsive gel in an inflammation-induced diabetic fibroblast model.

## Key findings

- The gel showed rapid sol–gel transition at body temperature and good rheological properties.
- It significantly enhanced fibroblast migration in inflammatory diabetic conditions.
- The gel was cytocompatible with both normal and diabetic fibroblasts.

## Abstract

Diabetic wounds remain a major clinical challenge due to delayed healing caused by chronic inflammation and impaired fibroblast activity. Here, we present a thermoresponsive gel composed of chitosan (CS) and poloxamers (POL) incorporating silk fibroin (SFB) and Aloe vera gel extract (AV), developed for topical application and, for the first time, evaluated using an inflammation-induced diabetic fibroblast model. The optimized formulation exhibited rapid sol–gel transition at physiological temperature and suitable rheological properties for effective wound coverage. In vitro evaluation using human normal fibroblasts (HNF) and human diabetic fibroblasts (HDF), under both basal and inflammation-induced conditions, demonstrated good cytocompatibility and a significant enhancement of fibroblast migration, particularly in an inflammatory microenvironment simulated by high glucose, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). These findings highlight the potential of the developed thermoresponsive gel as a promising biomaterial platform for improving diabetic wound healing under inflammation-relevant conditions.