title: Elastin-based materials.
abstract: Elastin is a versatile elastic protein that dominates flexible tissues capable of recoil, and facilitates commensurate cell interactions in these tissues in all higher vertebrates. Elastin's persistence and insolubility hampered early efforts to construct versatile biomaterials. Subsequently the field has progressed substantially through the adapted use of solubilized elastin, elastin-based peptides and the increasing availability of recombinant forms of the natural soluble elastin precursor, tropoelastin. These interactions allow for the formation of a sophisticated range of biomaterial constructs and composites that benefit from elastin's physical properties of innate assembly and elasticity, and cell interactive properties as discussed in this tutorial review.
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Jessica F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Almine
authors.forename: Daniel V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Bax
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mithieux
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nivison-Smith
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rnjak
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waterhouse
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Wise
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D004549:Elastin / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004549:Elastin