Silk Fibroin and Its Nanocomposites for Wound Care: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

For most individuals, wound healing is a highly organized, straightforward process, wherein the body transitions through different phases in a timely manner. However, there are instances where external intervention becomes necessary to support and facilitate different phases of the body's innate healing mechanism. Furthermore, in developing countries, the cost of the intervention significantly impacts access to treatment options as affordability becomes a determining factor. This is particularly true in cases of long-term wound treatment and management, such as chronic wounds and infections. Silk fibroin (SF) and its nanocomposites have emerged as promising biomaterials with potent wound-healing activity. Driven by this motivation, this Review presents a critical overview of the recent advancements in different aspects of wound care using SF and SF-based nanocomposites. In this context, we explore various formats of hemostats and assess their suitability for different bleeding situations. The subsequent sections discuss the primary causes of nonhealing wounds, i.e., prolonged inflammation and infections. Herein, different treatment strategies to achieve immunomodulatory and antibacterial properties in a wound dressing were reviewed. Despite exhibiting excellent pro-healing properties, few silk-based products reach the market. This Review concludes by highlighting the bottlenecks in translating silk-based products into the market and the prospects for the future.

Wearable e-Bandage with Antimicrobial Ionogel as an Integrated Electroceutical Device for Accelerated Wound Healing

“…Ionogels, formed by entrapping ionic liquid in gelators like polymeric matrices, inherit the properties of an ionic liquid, including ionic conductivity, making them excellent candidates for electronic devices. Natural biomaterials, such as silk fibroin protein (SF), are gaining attention in wound care research . It is being extensively explored due to its unique properties, including abundant supply, low cost, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and nontoxicity. − The studies on SF for flexible electronics and sensing have primarily emphasized its role as a substrate rather than as an active component .…”