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Purpose of Review <p>This review aims to highlight the expanding pharmacological relevance of the domesticated silkworm (<i>Bombyx mori</i>) beyond its traditional role in silk production. It explores the transition of silkworm-derived biomaterials such as fibroin and sericin into vital components of modern biomedicine, with applications spanning drug delivery, wound healing, bone tissue engineering, cosmetics, and biomedical scaffolds. Emphasis is placed on studies conducted between 2020 and 2025, which advocate for increased research interest, given the relatively limited annual publication volume in this emerging field. </p> Recent Findings <p>Between 2020 and 2025, fewer than 1000 research publications annually focused on sericulture applications, underscoring the need for greater exploration. <i>Bombyx mori</i> offers clear advantages over mammalian models, including easy breeding, a short life cycle, and a fully sequenced genome. It has shown promise in anti-cancer and anti-diabetic drug screening, gut microbiome research, and gene modification. The review also discusses silk-based innovations covered in the patent literature. It reveals the multifunctional therapeutic roles of fibroin and sericin in wound healing, bone regeneration, drug delivery systems, and cosmetics. These findings reflect a multidisciplinary convergence around silkworm bioproducts in biotechnology, nanomedicine, and pharmacological research.</p> Summary <p>Silkworms, particularly <i>Bombyx mori</i>, are rapidly gaining attention as a sustainable, cost-effective, and ethically acceptable alternative to vertebrate models in biomedical research. Their derived biomaterials possess desirable qualities such as biocompatibility, mechanical strength, and biodegradability. With mounting evidence of their therapeutic potential and a growing number&#xa0;of patents in the field, this review calls for intensified, interdisciplinary research to unlock new biomedical frontiers using this traditional yet underexplored organism. The silkworm stands at the crossroads of ancient sericulture and cutting-edge pharmacological innovation.</p>

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From Cocoons to Cures: The Emerging Role of Bombyx mori Silk Proteins in Pharmacological Research

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月14日

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  • Paavana O. S.K,
  • Sruthi S. P.,
  • Meet Patel,
  • Karthik M. G.,
  • Vishnu R. Nair,
  • MSAMuthukumar Nadar

摘要

Purpose of Review

This review aims to highlight the expanding pharmacological relevance of the domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori) beyond its traditional role in silk production. It explores the transition of silkworm-derived biomaterials such as fibroin and sericin into vital components of modern biomedicine, with applications spanning drug delivery, wound healing, bone tissue engineering, cosmetics, and biomedical scaffolds. Emphasis is placed on studies conducted between 2020 and 2025, which advocate for increased research interest, given the relatively limited annual publication volume in this emerging field.

Recent Findings

Between 2020 and 2025, fewer than 1000 research publications annually focused on sericulture applications, underscoring the need for greater exploration. Bombyx mori offers clear advantages over mammalian models, including easy breeding, a short life cycle, and a fully sequenced genome. It has shown promise in anti-cancer and anti-diabetic drug screening, gut microbiome research, and gene modification. The review also discusses silk-based innovations covered in the patent literature. It reveals the multifunctional therapeutic roles of fibroin and sericin in wound healing, bone regeneration, drug delivery systems, and cosmetics. These findings reflect a multidisciplinary convergence around silkworm bioproducts in biotechnology, nanomedicine, and pharmacological research.

Summary

Silkworms, particularly Bombyx mori, are rapidly gaining attention as a sustainable, cost-effective, and ethically acceptable alternative to vertebrate models in biomedical research. Their derived biomaterials possess desirable qualities such as biocompatibility, mechanical strength, and biodegradability. With mounting evidence of their therapeutic potential and a growing number of patents in the field, this review calls for intensified, interdisciplinary research to unlock new biomedical frontiers using this traditional yet underexplored organism. The silkworm stands at the crossroads of ancient sericulture and cutting-edge pharmacological innovation.