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.
Highlights
In addition to cellulose, chitosan, and collagen, silk is one of the most abundant naturally derived polymers
The sufficient penetration into mouse skin, the controlled release of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) while maintaining its activity, and the infection reduction ability of the tetracycline-loaded silk fibroin (SF)-based microneedles confirmed the feasibility of SF-based materials for minimally invasive drug delivery systems (DDSs)
The ubiquity, unique hierarchical structure, robust mechanical strength, excellent biocompatibility, tunable biodegradation, versatility in material format design, and mild aqueous processing are some of the key advantageous characteristics of SF
Summary
Chitosan, and collagen, silk is one of the most abundant naturally derived polymers. Owing to the development and spreading of sericulture, where silkworms are reared and fed with mulberry leaves to collect silk fibers from their cocoons, silk fabrics have been produced on a large scale across South Asian countries ever since. This luxury textile material led to the establishment of the Silk. Fibroin is assembled from nanofibril units which crystal network consists of β-sheet dispersed within an amorphous matrix (reproduced with permission [17]). Crystallites dispersed within an amorphous matrix (reproduced with permission [17])
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