Abstract
Silk fibroin has the merits of biocompatibility, biodegradability, ease of processing, and feasibility of modification, which present it as a promising drug delivery material. This review focuses on the structures of silk fibroin, the controlled transformation of secondary structures, and the formation mechanism of silk fibroin-based nanoparticles (SFNPs). We also discuss the intrinsic multi-responsive, surface functionalization, and transgenic modification of SFNPs for drug delivery.
Highlights
Drug delivery is required to deliver appropriate amounts of therapeutic agents to the diseased sites to improve the therapeutic effect of drugs and reduce their adverse effects (Tian et al, 2014; Jain, 2020)
In contrast to traditional polymeric NPs, polymeric drug carriers that respond to the external stimuli by changing their physicochemical properties can maintain the stability of the loaded drugs, prolong the blood circulation time of drugs, realize on-demand drug release in the targeted cells, and reduce the systemic side toxicities (Cheng et al, 2014; Guragain et al, 2015; Fu et al, 2018; Gao et al, 2019)
These results collectively reveal that silk fibroin-based nanoparticles (SFNPs) have obvious pH/ROS/GSH/hyperthermia/lysosomal enzyme-responsive properties, which can facilitate the specific drug release in the targeted cells via microenvironmental stimuli
Summary
Drug delivery is required to deliver appropriate amounts of therapeutic agents to the diseased sites to improve the therapeutic effect of drugs and reduce their adverse effects (Tian et al, 2014; Jain, 2020). In contrast to traditional polymeric NPs, polymeric drug carriers that respond to the external stimuli (e.g., pH, ROS, GSH, enzyme, temperature, and light) by changing their physicochemical properties can maintain the stability of the loaded drugs, prolong the blood circulation time of drugs, realize on-demand drug release in the targeted cells, and reduce the systemic side toxicities (Cheng et al, 2014; Guragain et al, 2015; Fu et al, 2018; Gao et al, 2019) Many of these stimuli-responsive polymers are synthesized through the integration of multiple functional chemical groups via complex chemical reactions, which involve large amounts of organic solvents and harsh reaction environments, eventually resulting in potential toxicity and high expense (Lei et al, 2017; Bordat et al, 2019; Deng et al, 2020). We summarize the controlled transformation of the secondary structures, the multiple stimuli-responsive capacities, and the surface/multifunctional modification of SFNPs for drug delivery
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
