Role of Silk-Based Proteins in Transdermal Drug Delivery

Transdermal drug delivery strategies have become a fascinating research domain, especially in the field of pharmaceutics. Employment of these systems can overcome the disadvantages associated with other modes of delivery routes like parenteral and oral. In addition, transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDSs) have been found to be efficient in delivering low and high molecular weight drugs. Silk offers a unique amalgamation of desirable features necessary for sustained drug delivery. Silk fibroin (SF) is a unique structural protein constituent that is obtained from domesticated silkworms (Bombyx mori). Predominantly, it is composed of glycine, serine, and alanine in diverse proportions; also these SFs consist of abundant amounts of β-sheets which influence the biodegradation rate, mechanical properties, and capability to subsidize cell adhesion. SF is appealing in a variety of applications that demand a structurally superior, biodegradable, biocompatible, and functionalized polymer due to its simple and adaptable processing abilities in both the native and regenerated forms. Drugs administered transdermally have a higher bioavailability and can be used both locally and systemically. Nanoscopic systems have drawn interest as drug carriers in transdermal systems for drug delivery to increase the permeability of pharmaceuticals via skin. Several inadequacies in traditional drug delivery systems can be addressed by the design and manufacture of innovative drug delivery systems. Due to their unique qualities that permit the insertion of a diverse variety of therapeutic agents, SF-based polymers are possible targets to be utilized in the research on drug delivery systems to address the constraints. This chapter reviews the applications of the role of SF protein component in the usage of TDDSs.