Meet Sylke, the First Wound Dressing Made of Pure Hypoallergenic Silk Fibroin

Sylke Inc. is launching SYLKE, the first dressing made of pure hypoallergenic silk fibroin.

SYLKE is designed to enhance healing across surgical wounds and to reduce complications and infections which can lead to poor scarring outcomes.

In a study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal (ASJ) Open Forum, SYLKE adhesive wound closure prototype outperformed DERMABOND PRINEO across all measures including: skin discomfort (4% vs. 64%), ACD including rash, itching and erythema (irritated, red skin) (0% vs. 52%), need for topical steroids or antibiotics for ACD and SSIs (0% vs. 52%), and dressing removal time (47 seconds vs. 1 minute and 39 seconds), significantly reducing the incidence of medical adhesive-related skin injuries (MARSIs). SYLKE and DERMABOND PRINEO were evaluated in abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), body lift, breast reduction and mastopexy (breast lift) procedures.

"SYLKE aims to revolutionize surgical wound care by eliminating medical adhesive-related skin injuries that lead to complications such as infections and poor scarring outcomes. We see a benefit to millions of patients and aim to decrease the financial burden on the healthcare system by bringing SYLKE to market," says M. Mark Mofid, MD, FACS, an assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and inventor of SYLKE, in a news release.  "Scarring from surgical procedures dramatically affects aesthetics and impacts patients' mental health and overall well-being. We are especially pleased to extend the art of scar-minimizing wound closure to all healthcare professionals, patients, consumers and military personnel."

A head-to-head comparison (n=50) of the SYLKE prototype versus the 3M Steri-Strip Skin Closure device will be published in spring 2024. Multispecialty studies using SYLKE are in the planning stages at Johns Hopkins this fall.

SYLKE is commercially available and can be purchased over-the-counter by healthcare professionals and the general public.