Recent Advances in Silk Fibroin

Dear Colleagues,

Silk fibroin (SF) of silkworms has been used as clothing material for centuries and simple suture material in the biomedical field for decades. Recently, SF has been widely studied as a potential biomaterial in the biomedical and engineering fields, as it can be reconstituted in various functional forms, such as hydrogels, membranes, and nano/microporous scaffolds through physical and chemical processes. The unique structural assembly of this protein offers extraordinary mechanical properties in comparison to other commonly-used polymer-based biomaterials. Thus, SF is increasingly being developed for its versatile uses in the biomedical fields, including bone, tendon, ligament, cartilage, dermal substitute, nerve, cornea, tympanic membrane, dental, artificial kidney, and bladder drug delivery. As a new direction or way for SF applications, it is being developed for electronics, photonics, MEMS, and microfluidics in the engineering field. In the recent past, 3D bioprinting with SF-based materials has emerged as a fast-growing trend in tissue engineering for patient-specific organ regenerations. Therefore, this themed issue on “Preparation and Applications of Silk Fibroin” focuses on advanced methods of silk fibroin preparation and their widespread use in both biomedical and engineering fields.  

In this perspective, we would like to welcome any original research articles, notably contributing to the innovative preparation method of SF-based materials and their diverse application in the biomedical and biotechnological fields. We would also like to invite review articles from global experts working in this area, particularly on the preparation methods and latest technological advances on the use of SF.

Dr. Chan Hum Park
Guest Editor

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