Silk sericin as a biomaterial for tissue engineering: a review

Abstract

Silk sericin is a natural polymer produced by silkworm Bombyx mori; which has the function of covering the fibroin filaments so that they remain linked together as well as maintaining the structural integrity of the cocoon. Despite its properties and benefits, sericin is currently discarded during textile production as it is considered a side product of silk cocoons during the degumming process. Among the most important biological properties of sericin are good oxygen permeability, moisture-regulating capacity, resistance to UV radiation, ability to promotes cell growth, biocompatibility and mitogenic effect. All these characteristics make sericin a promising polymer to be used in biomedical applications, especially in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Some studies report that sericin favors the biological nature of keratinocytes and fibroblasts, potentializing it as a biomaterial for the repair of epithelial tissue, mainly utilized as wound dressing. Given the importance that sericin can have in the field of bioengineering, and that its use can favor the sericulture agroindustry, this manuscript reviews recent studies of this protein for its application in tissue engineering, specifically for cutaneous regeneration.

Highlights

• Research on SS represents a promising and developing field.

• SS decreases cell adhesion and favors the proliferation of keratinocytes and fibroblasts.

• SS has been shown to have a mitogenic effect in some mammalian cells.

• SS can be crosslinked, copolymerized, and mixed with other polymers.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Biocompatibility
• biomaterial
• silk sericin
• tissue engineering
• wound healing

Acknowledgments

The authors acnowledge the Centro de Investigación para el Desarrollo y la Innovación (CIDI) of the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana for the financial support through the advanced training scholarship for master’s student. The Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Hatch program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture is also acknowledged for the contribution to this effort. The authors also acknowledge the Departamento Administrativo de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (COLCIENCIAS) for the academic support in the formation of a student resource in the announcement of national doctorate 647 of 2014.