Silk as a promising biomaterial for 3D bioprinting: a comprehensive review of Bombyx mori silk’s biomedical applications

Abstract

This comprehensive review discusses the exceptional mechanical and biological properties of the Bombyx mori silkworm’s silk fibroin (SF) and its potential for biomedical applications. It focuses on the recent interest in using SF in 3D bioprinting for tissue engineering and provides an overview of advancements in this area. The review covers topics such as fabrication techniques, properties of SF-based bioinks, scaffold design, and applications in tissue engineering fields like bone, cartilage, skin, nerve, and vascular tissue regeneration. It also addresses future challenges and directions, including improving printing resolution and developing new silk-based biomaterials or their combination with other hydrogels.

Graphical abstract

Keywords:

• 3D bioprinting
• regenerative medicine
• silk fibroin
• tissue engineering

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Data availability statement

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Vice-Chancellor for Research of Tehran University of Medical Sciences under Grant [number 1401-4-147-63010]