Silk proteins for biomedical application

Biomaterials of either natural or synthetic origin are used to fabricate implantable devices, as carriers for bioactive molecules or as substrates to facilitate tissue regeneration. For the design of medical devices it is fundamental to use materials characterized by non-immunogenicity, biocompatibility, slow and/or controllable biodegradability, non-toxicity, and structural integrity. The success of biomaterial-derived biodevices tends to be based on the biomimetic architecture of the materials. Recently, proteins from natural precursors that are essentially structural and functional polymers, have gained popularity as biomaterials. The silks produced by silkworms or spiders are of particular interest due to their advantageous properties, making them suitable for a variety of biomedical applications. This paper reviews the current state of silk protein research and its various applications in bioengineering, focusing on the performance and potential of silk proteins in developing advanced biomaterials for medical applications. We emphasize the need for interdisciplinary approaches to harness the benefits of silk proteins, their processing techniques, and how they can integrate with tissue engineering principles to enhance therapeutic outcomes.