Recent trends in controlled drug delivery based on silk platforms

Silk biomaterials are reputed as potential platforms for biomedical applications due to their unique characteristics, such as excellent biocompatibility, biodegradation rate, mechanical strength, and less immunogenicity. Silk materials can be prepared in different structures like nanoparticles, hydrogels, nanofibers, films, and sponges using methods such as desolvation, freeze-drying, self-assembly, electrospinning, and others. Here, different silk platforms for drug delivery applications are reviewed. The advantages and disadvantages of each system are described in detail. Silk-based constructs are introduced as powerful delivery platforms for various drugs and biomolecules for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.