Silk Fibroin-Based Materials for Tissue Engineering

In recent years, there has been a sustainable advancement of regenerative medicine, including the development of tissue-engineered constructs and their implementation in clinical practice. Current tissue engineering methods and approaches actively use biodegradable materials, among them of protein origin. Silk fibroin, which exhibits superior physicomechanical properties compared to other proteins, holds great high potential for use in this area. To enhance functionality and biocompatibility, silk fibroin can be modified with bioactive additives such as collagen, gelatin, hydroxyapatite, physiologically significant compounds, and drugs. This review addresses methods for the isolation and properties of silk fibroin, analyzes the characteristics of composites containing silk fibroin, and highlights the latest achievements and prospects for the application of silk fibroin-based materials in regenerative medicine.