Silk-fibroin Nano-drug Delivery Systems

This chapter focuses on silk-fibroin nano-drug delivery systems, with particular attention to nanoparticles, nanocapsules and nanofibers. The currently-employed methods for their production are described, including those based on solvent or microemulsion, those requiring specific instruments such as the milling technique, the electrospray and the supercritical fluid technology, and finally those considered as “niche” techniques, such as the microcapillary dot method. The employment of silk-fibroin nanosystems for the delivery of drugs, including protein/enzymes, genetic material and small molecules, is also described.