title: Crosslinked alpha-elastin biomaterials: towards a processable elastin mimetic scaffold.
abstract: Elastin is a critical biochemical and biomechanical component of vascular tissue. However, elastin is also highly insoluble and therefore difficult to process into new biomaterials. We present a simple approach for synthesizing elastin-based materials from two commercially available and water-soluble components: alpha-elastin and a diepoxy crosslinker. Reaction pH was shown to modulate the degree of crosslinking, as demonstrated by materials characterized with a range of swelling ratios (approximately 10-25), enzymatic degradation rates (approximately 8-50% per h in 0.1 u/ml elastase), and elastic moduli (approximately 4-120 kPa). Crosslinking with a combination alkaline and neutral pH process results in materials with the highest degree of crosslinks, as indicated by a swelling ratio of 10, slow degradation rate, and high elastic moduli (approximately 120 kPa). Furthermore, the crosslinked alpha-elastin materials support vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) adhesion and a decreased proliferation rate compared to polystyrene controls. The functional outcomes of the crosslinking reaction, including the dependence of structure-function properties on reaction pH, are discussed. Our approach towards 'processable' elastin-based materials is versatile and could be integrated into existing tissue engineering methodologies to enhance biomaterial performance by providing a natural elastomeric and biofunctional component.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 44 Cummington St., Boston, MA 02215, United States.
authors.forename: Jennie B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: Jesse B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Wolinsky
authors.forename: Phillip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Joyce Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002417:Cattle; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004548:Elasticity; D004549:Elastin / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004549:Elastin