Silk Fibroin-Based Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications: A Review

Abstract

Since it was first discovered, thousands of years ago, silkworm silk has been known to be an abundant biopolymer with a vast range of attractive properties. The utilization of silk fibroin (SF), the main protein of silkworm silk, has not been limited to the textile industry but has been further extended to various high-tech application areas, including biomaterials for drug delivery systems and tissue engineering. The outstanding mechanical properties of SF, including its facile processability, superior biocompatibility, controllable biodegradation, and versatile functionalization have allowed its use for innovative applications. In this review, we describe the structure, composition, general properties, and structure-properties relationship of SF. In addition, the methods used for the fabrication and modification of various materials are briefly addressed. Lastly, recent applications of SF-based materials for small molecule drug delivery, biological drug delivery, gene therapy, wound healing, and bone regeneration are reviewed and our perspectives on future development of these favorable materials are also shared.

The Mechanical Properties, Secondary Structure, and Osteogenic Activity of Photopolymerized Fibroin

“…Materials made of native Fb are known to be highly biocompatible; moreover, these materials are applicable for bone regeneration [7,35,36] and fracture fixation [34,37]. These factors are associated with large mechanical strength and the ability to imitate the anionic charge of non-collagen proteins in the bone ECM, as well as with nucleation of hydroxyapatite and integrin mediated cell adhesion [38].…”

“…The EM of normal bone extracellular matrix (ECM) is 20-50 kPa [3], whereas for the mineralized bone, the values are as large as [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] GPa [4]. The respective values for typical polymer scaffolds are in the kPa range [5]; an increase in EM can be a factor of the osteogenic potency of the material [6][7][8].…”

“…Fibroin (Fb) is a perspective source of scaffolds for tissue engineering due to its remarkable biocompatibility, moderate immunomodulating activity, bioresorbability, yield of non-toxic products (mostly amino acids and short peptides), and its mechanical strength [7]. In particular, the fibroin-based materials are well-described scaffolds with perspective osteogenic properties [9][10][11].…”

Electroactive Silk Fibroin Films for Electrochemically Enhanced Delivery of Drugs

“…Natural [ 1–4 ] and recombinant [ 5,6 ] silk proteins are popular components of biomaterials for drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine, owing to their processability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, demonstrating their promise in various biomedical niches in vitro, and in preclinical trials. [ 7 ] Silk‐based biomaterials in a selection of materials morphologies (including films, fibers, films, and hydrogels) have been prepared using the silk proteins produced by various species (silkworms, spiders, etc.)…”

One-step heating strategy for efficient solubilization of recombinant spider silk protein from inclusion bodies

“…Spider silk is a kind of ideal biomaterial attributed to its extraordinary performances, such as outstanding mechanical properties and excellent biocompatibility [1][2][3]. In nature silk proteins are speci cally spun into bers, whereas after processed under various condition in vitro they can assemble into different forms with distinct morphologies, e.g.…”