Silk Protein-Based Composite Materials for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Natural and synthetic polymers play a central role in the development of biomedical devices and tissue-engineering constructs. They are used either as standalone materials or as components of composite systems incorporating cells and bioactive substances. Because no single material can satisfy all requirements of a biomedical application, composite systems that combine complementary properties of their constituent components are of particular scientific and practical interest. Among natural polymers, silk proteins—silk fibroin and silk sericin—stand out as evolutionarily refined, functionally complementary components of a natural composite. To date, an extensive body of research devoted to both individual silk proteins and composite materials based on them in combination with other biological agents or auxiliary substances of inorganic and organic origin has been published. At the same time, relatively limited attention has been paid to materials based exclusively on the interactions between silk proteins themselves—“silk fibroin/silk sericin” or “silk fibroin/silk fibroin” composites—in various physicochemical forms. This review critically evaluates current strategies for designing silk-protein-based materials and discusses their potential biomedical applications.