Challenges and opportunities of silk protein hydrogels in biomedical applications

Abstract

In the context of this era of complementary interdisciplinary advances, the design and preparation of hydrogel materials has been a hot avenue of research for a variety of applications. Silk proteins are an important natural resource for the preparation of silk-based hydrogels: their remarkable biological characteristics give them an important position in the field of biomedicine. The functional utilization of silk protein can not only contribute great added value to natural resources, but also meets the needs of green production, fully embodying the significant advantages of the ‘atomic economization’ manufacturing industry. This review examines the relationship between silk protein structure–performance–function, systematically summarizes the latest research in the preparation of silk protein hydrogel materials, analyzes the important applications of silk protein hydrogel materials in biomedical fields such as tissue engineering, controlled drug release, injectable hydrogels, and intelligent monitoring and sensing, and finally evaluates their potential value as a new type of biomaterial in future clinical medical applications. The introduction of genetic engineering and nanotechnology has brought huge challenges and unlimited opportunities to scientific researchers. As one of the most widely researched biomaterials, the developmental research of silk protein hydrogel materials has been continuously expanded.