Silk Fibroin Hydrogels Could Be Therapeutic Biomaterials for Neurological Diseases

Abstract

Silk fibroin, a natural macromolecular protein without physiological activity, has been widely used in different fields, such as the regeneration of bones, cartilage, nerves, and other tissues. Due to irrevocable neuronal injury, the treatment and prognosis of neurological diseases need to be investigated. Despite attempts to propel neuroprotective therapeutic approaches, numerous attempts to translate effective therapies for brain disease have been largely unsuccessful. As a good candidate for biomedical applications, hydrogels based on silk fibroin effectively amplify their advantages. The ability of nerve tissue regeneration, inflammation regulation, the slow release of drugs, antioxidative stress, regulation of cell death, and hemostasis could lead to a new approach to treating neurological disorders. In this review, we introduced the preparation of SF hydrogels and then delineated the probable mechanism of silk fibroin in the treatment of neurological diseases. Finally, we showed the application of silk fibroin in neurological diseases.

The therapeutic potential of triptolide and celastrol in neurological diseases

“…With the accelerated aging of the population, the incidence of neurological diseases is gradually increasing, and it is becoming a global problem. However, due to the complexity of neurological diseases, the pathogenesis of neurological diseases is not yet clear and effective treatments are limited ( Yang et al, 2022a ). Studies have shown that many factors are involved in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases ( Liu Q. et al, 2022 ; Delport and Hewer, 2022 ; Wu et al, 2022 ).…”

Extracellular Vesicles and Hydrogels: An Innovative Approach to Tissue Regeneration

“…289 When loaded into hydrogels, these nanoscale vesicles can provide a sustained release mechanism, thereby improving their therapeutic efficacy in neurological applica-tions. 290 The therapeutic potential of sEVs derived from BMSCs was studied by investigating the role of miRNAs in ischemic stroke (IS) progression. It was hypothesized that sEVs derived from BMSCs containing overexpressed miR-138−5p could protect astrocytes against IS by targeting lipocalin 2 (LCN2).…”

“…MSCs-sEVs have demonstrated significant therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative disorders . When loaded into hydrogels, these nanoscale vesicles can provide a sustained release mechanism, thereby improving their therapeutic efficacy in neurological applications . The therapeutic potential of sEVs derived from BMSCs was studied by investigating the role of miRNAs in ischemic stroke (IS) progression.…”

Characterization, antibacterial and anticancer study of silk fibroin hydrogel

“…Hydrophobic regions of short-side chain acids dominate the primary sequence. Typically, silk fibroin is made up of βsheet structures, which are used for tightly packed protein slices with hydrogen-bonded antiparallel chains 11 . It is one of the most naturally occurring biodegradable materials having excellent water retention, freezing tolerance, exceptional pore size that plays an important role in nutrients and metabolites transport, interconnectivity among cells, permitting cellular growth and vascularization in the host, which would be greatly helpful in the biomedical field [12][13][14][15][16][17] .…”