Hierarchical assembly of elastin materials

Publication date: June 2019Source: Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering, Volume 24Author(s): Richard Wang, Jazmin Ozsvar, Giselle C Yeo, Anthony S WeissElastin is an extracellular matrix protein polymer that imparts tissues with the ability to endure stretch-recoil cycles. The formation of elastin has been explored through its major components, such as the natural precursor tropoelastin and mimics in elastin-like polypeptides, and involves a remarkable process of hierarchical self-assembly at physiological temperatures through interactions principally between their hydrophobic sequences. These properties have made elastin an attractive candidate for incorporation into biomaterials for a range of applications in regenerative medicine. This review summarizes the recent advances in understanding how the sequence and structure of elastin influence the thermodynamics that govern the functionality of elastin and its derivatives, and describes innovations in harnessing these mechanisms to create tunable elastin-based biomaterials.Graphical abstractNative elastin is inherently difficult to purify due to its insolubility. As a result, elastin-like polypeptides, recombinant human tropoelastin, and solubilized animal elastin fragments are the focus of elastin-based research. All of these elastin-derivatives possess the ability to self-assemble by coacervation in a temperature-dependent manner. These properties have led to great interest in creating a new class of materials for regene...

Source: Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering - March 4, 2019 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research