Advances in silkworm silk proteins: From textile to biomedical innovations

The domesticated silkworm ( Bombyx mori ) silk, an ancient and renewable natural protein fiber, has received renewed attention in biomedical materials research in recent years. B. mori silk consists mainly of fibroin (a type of fibrous protein) and sericin (a type of glue-like protein). Fibroin exhibits excellent biocompatibility, robust mechanical properties, and controllable degradability. In contrast, sericin is rich in hydrophilic amino acids and possesses biological activity. This review covers the extraction and modification methods for these two proteins and highlights their structural advantages. It systematically summarizes recent progress in silk-based materials for tissue engineering, controllable-release drug delivery, trauma hemostasis, antimicrobial applications, and smart medicine. Finally, the advantages and challenges of silk-based biomedical materials are discussed, and their prospects are explored.