Silk Sericin in Dermatological Diseases: From Preclinical Studies to Future Clinical Applications

Biomaterials in medicine are becoming more widespread as a single or complementary treatment option. One such biomaterial is silk, comprised of two primary proteins: fibroin and sericin. Recently, sericin's anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, moisturizing, elastase- and tyrosinase-inhibiting properties have been widely investigated. Sericin biomaterials are already used in wound healing and bone tissue engineering. Additionally, there are promising results for its usefulness in many other applications. This review focuses on sericin use in dermatological diseases, above all in atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Sericin biomaterials have proven not only to be a promising drug carrier but also to improve the treatment outcome of atopic skin lesions. In psoriasis, sericin's therapeutic effect has reduced inflammation and abnormal epidermal maturation in plaques, with results comparable to standard treatment. Sericin is also observed to diminish skin pigmentation, improve moisture, and increase collagen production so that it can be used as an anti-aging product. There are also reports of its anti-skin-cancer activity. This paper describes the mechanisms behind skin diseases' pathogenesis and, based on the results of scientific studies, highlights and explains sericin's beneficial effects in their treatment. Its versatility, alone or combined with other therapeutic agents, provides new opportunities for dermatological treatments and cosmetic innovations.