(135) Responsive Silk Protein Plastics for Controlled Drug Release

Implantable polymeric drug delivery systems are an option for localized, sustained drug release.¹ Current synthetic polymers often face challenges in control of degradation kinetics and require complex synthesis.² Recent thermomechanical advances enable the direct molding of regenerated silk protein into dense, plastic-like materials with tunable degradation rates and mechanical properties.³ This study explores drug release kinetics from thermoplastically processed drug-loaded silk protein reservoirs, controlled by temperature and enzymatic modulation, as a new approach to sustained delivery.