Silk nanofibers-based biomaterials for biomedical applications

Silk proteins, like fibroin, are natural proteins extracted from the cocoons of the silkworm, which have been cultivated and used for several hundred years to manufacture silk textiles. Worldwide production of these cocoons is around 400,000 tonnes a year, mainly for the textile industry and, in recent years, for biomedical applications.

Indeed, this silk can generate innovative new materials which, like collagen, could be used in biomedical applications. This is why, over the last twenty years, numerous research teams have been taking a close interest in these proteins, which are essentially made up of biopolymers. In addition, they provide interesting mechanical properties and are totally non-toxic. Silk can also be easily biofunctionalized by chemical modification, which in turn leads to new physico-chemical properties. Coupled with the variety of possible structures (gel, capsules, films and fibers), these modulations of protein chemistry further extend the possible applications of silk-based biomaterials.

The choice of the biomaterial's physico-chemical characteristics will therefore depend on its application. Silk protein nanofibers can be used to create new matrices for tissue engineering, or new types of vectors for the delivery of active drugs and molecules.