Silk, Medical and Serigen

 

In 1600 BC Greek surgeon Galen of Pergamon used silk to suture together gladiators’ severed tendons. This is the first noted use of silk in the medical field. Since then, silk has paved its way into the healthcare industry.

It has garnered special attention which can largely be attributed to its excellent material properties, affordability, and resource ability. Today, it's more than just a suture material.
Silk is a protein polymer that is secreted by a variety of species such as spiders, moths, and butterflies. It has notable properties like low immunogenic response, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Additionally, studies have proven that silk supports human keratinocytes and fibroblast growth. These factors make it ideal for use in engineering artificial tissue and give it an added advantage over other biomaterials.

In 1992 - technology was discovered - to convert silk fiber into liquid silk. This opened up large possibilities. The liquid silk can then be cast into materials as per requirements.

Serigen is leveraging the material science of natural silk to develop unique tissue regeneration products. 

At Serigen, they convert silk threads (from the cocoons of silkworm Bombyx mori or mulberry silkworm) into a solution. The solution can be structured and shaped in various forms suitable for unique biomedical products.
Their exciting product range consists of - 

• Seriderm - A single-use disposable dressing. It is non-adherent, and absorbent and ensures regulation of the moisture content at the wound bed.  Complex wounds like diabetic foot ulcers and second-degree burns can heal better with this dressing.

• Serimat – is a  product helping in soft tissue and blood vessel regeneration. In surgeries for breast cancer with radical soft tissue loss, it provides tissue support.

• Seriosis – is an osteoconductive bone void filler. It provides the appropriate environment for bone cells to thrive and function.  It’s multipurpose and used in trauma, infection, cancer, etc.  It dissolves after 6 months leaving space for the growth of natural tissues.

The presence of these products provides insight into the possibilities of silk use in medicine. Its potential to be employed in a multitude of applications such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, biomedical imaging, and cancer therapeutics remains at large.

While some of the products are achieving clinical translation, there are many avenues yet to be conquered eg silk in biomedical imaging, sensing, electronics, etc.
Silk is no doubt a promising biomaterial opening new vistas towards affordable healthcare solutions.

References 

https://serigenmed.com/

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adhm.201800465