Page 52 - MSAM-4-2

Materials Science in

Additive Manufacturing

REVIEW ARTICLE
Unraveling the roles of fibrous silk in biomedical

applications: A review

Mingzheng Zhao 1† , Shixuan Guo 1† , Fengqi Cheng 1† , Wenhan Tian 2 ,
1,3
Weishi Liang 1,3 , Jing Su 1 , Yong Hai * , Juan Guan * , and Yuzeng Liu *
1
2
1 Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing,
100020, China
2 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China
³Joint Laboratory for Research and Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury in Spinal Deformity, Laboratory
for Clinical Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China

Abstract
Biomedical materials have become essential for diagnosing, treating, and repairing
diseased tissues, with applications ranging from hard dental implants to soft artificial
blood vessels. Among these, fibrous silk (FS) – a naturally assembled material with
† These authors contributed equally exceptional mechanical and biological properties – has recently emerged as a
to this work promising candidate for advancing biomedical technologies, particularly with the
advent of additive manufacturing and three-dimensional (3D) printing. This review
*Corresponding authors:
Yuzeng Liu comprehensively explores the advancements in FS-based materials for biomedical
(beijingspine2010@163.com) applications over the past two decades (2004 – 2024). FS, a unique material
Juan Guan derived from silkworm silk fibers, exhibits exceptional mechanical properties,
(juan.guan@buaa.edu.cn)
Yong Hai biocompatibility, controlled biodegradability, and antimicrobial characteristics,
(yong.hai@ccmu.edu.cn) positioning it as a versatile candidate for various biomedical applications. The review
begins with a detailed analysis of FS structure and morphology, covering natural FS,
Citation: Zhao M, Guo S, Cheng F,
et al. Unraveling the roles of fibrous derived FS, and assembled FS. It then delves into the critical properties relevant to
silk in biomedical applications: biomedical applications, such as mechanical resilience, biointegration, controlled
A review. Mater Sci Add Manuf. degradation profiles, and antimicrobial performance. Subsequently, the review
2025;4(2):025130020
doi: 10.36922/MSAM025130020 examines the extensive applications of FS-based materials across various biomedical
fields, particularly in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Special emphasis
Received: March 26, 2025
is placed on the role of additive manufacturing and 3D printing in enhancing the
1st revised: April 10, 2025 design complexity and functional performance of FS-based scaffolds, highlighting
2nd revised: April 26, 2025 their potential for developing customized implants and tissue-engineered constructs.
Finally, the review provides insights into the future potential of FS-based materials,
Accepted: April 28, 2025
addressing current limitations and proposing strategies to further optimize their
Published Online: May 30, 2025 functionality in biomedical contexts.
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the Keywords: Fibrous silk; Biomedical applications; Additive manufacturing; 3D printing
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited. 1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience Biomedical materials are specialized materials used to diagnose, treat, or repair diseased
Publishing remains neutral with tissues and organs, thereby improving patients’ quality of life. At present, biomedical
1
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional materials span a wide range of applications, including tissue engineering for both hard
affiliations. tissues (such as dental and bone implants) and soft tissues (such as artificial blood vessels

Volume 4 Issue 2 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/MSAM025130020