Silk Fibroin-Based Drug Delivery Systems

Abstract

Being a naturally occurring polymer, silk fibroin has become one of the widely used biomaterials owing to their splendid mechanical properties. Its wide acceptance in the development of biomaterials is credited due to its biocompatibility, non-synthetic in nature, ease to process, biodegradability and modification/functionalization capabilities. The design and synthesis of novel drug delivery systems are important areas to address multiple limitations in conventional drug delivery systems. To remedy the drawbacks, silk fibroin-based biomaterials are suitable candidates for use in the development of drug delivery systems due to their unique properties which allow for the incorporation of a wide variety of therapeutic agents. Silk fibroin-based delivery systems have the capability to encapsulate various molecules while offering stability in turn enhancing the shelf life of the formulation at the same time offering a controlled and sustained release of the drug molecules during circulation upon administration. Such outcomes are only made possible by studying and understanding the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the protein which allow for activity-based modifications to yield the desired outcome. This chapter provides a detailed account on the physiochemical and mechanical properties of silk fibroin-based delivery systems and their role in overcoming some of the existing limitations in conventional delivery systems.