Role of Silk-Based Proteins for Biomedical and Healthcare Systems

Over the years, significant improvements in research on biomaterials have led to outstanding technical developments in healthcare arena. This led to a probe for affordable medical solution with importance on biomaterials with flexible uses and eco-friendly manufacturing techniques. The remarkable material qualities of silk, along with its affordability and resourcefulness, have drawn particular attention to it as a potential biopolymer. One of the textile fibers that have recently attracted increased interest is silk, a natural protein fiber. New technical breakthroughs have allowed silk fiber’s uses to go beyond those of traditional textiles and into the pharmaceutical industry. Silk is a natural composite fiber made solely of hydrophobic fibroin obtained out of silkworms and spiders and hydrophilic sericin protein from silkworms alone. These proteins were studied for their use in medical systems, including grafts from tissue engineering, therapeutics for various diseases including cancer, chip-on-tissue models, edible preservatives, imaging in biomedical department, bio-sensing, biomedical textiles, biomedical implants, cosmetics, and small-molecule drug delivery. Silk proteins hold a significant role in the field of biomedicine owing to their exceptional biological properties. In addition, matrices of silk fibroin are employed as by-products for cultures of stem cells as well as for adhesion of subcutaneous fibroblasts and lack of differentiation to myofibroblasts. For a variety of tissue engineering applications, potential sericin matrices are also created and characterized as 3D-scaffolding, 2D-films, and nanospheres. The current chapter analyzes and summarizes recent developments in the field of health care as well as possible biomedical uses for silk proteins. We also provide our ideas on how these advantageous natural silk proteins will develop in the future.