Silk sericin as a functional biopolymer: From polymer chemistry to biomedical translation

Silk sericin (SS), once regarded as a byproduct of silk processing, has recently gained attention as a functional biopolymer owing to its intrinsic biocompatibility and versatile chemical functionality. This review presents a polymer- and chemistry-driven perspective on SS, emphasizing how its amino acid composition and abundant reactive groups (e.g. hydroxyl, carboxyl and amine functionalities) enable precise chemical modification and materials design. Key modification strategies, including methacrylation, acrylation, hydrazide functionalization and carboxylation, are critically discussed in relation to their effects on solubility, crosslinking behavior, structural stability and structure–property relationships. The review further examines how these chemically tailored SS systems can be processed into diverse polymeric formats, such as films, nanospheres, nanofibrous membranes and three-dimensional scaffolds. In addition, recent advances in SS-based composites, crosslinking strategies and network formation are highlighted, illustrating their roles in enhancing mechanical performance, processability and functional stability. Translational considerations, including scalability, reproducibility and regulatory challenges, are also addressed. Overall, this review positions silk sericin as a chemically tunable biopolymer platform, bridging fundamental polymer chemistry with emerging biomedical and translational applications.