Utilization of Transgenic Bombyx mori for Biomaterials Production

Abstract

Bombyx mori is one of the most studied species of Lepidoptera by the scientific community, being a permanent model organism especially for life sciences. Two major proteins named fibroin and sericin are found in silk thread used in the cocoon. Fibroin is widely used as a biomaterial due to the high biocompatibility, mechanical strength and biodegradability. Besides the great economic importance, over the past decade, Bombyx mori has received major attention as a bioreactor for large scale production of recombinant proteins. One of the greatest advantages of silkworms is the number of genes which are homologous to human genes, but also it is important to mention their short generation time and the rich genetic resource. In this article, we summarized a review of using the transgenic silkworm as a bioreactor to produce recombinant proteins. The recombinant proteins are currently used to optimize the biomaterials, which have a significant impact for the progress of human and veterinary medicine. For example, sericin hydrogels, containing human acidic fibroblast growth factor supporting wound healing, have been developed. Also, to improve cell adhesive properties, silk fibroin/hyaluronic scaffolds for human mesenchymal stem cell culture have been produced.

Keywords

• bombyx mori
• fibroin
• recombinant proteins
• transgenic silkworms