title: Recombinamers: combining molecular complexity with diverse bioactivities for advanced biomedical and biotechnological applications.
abstract: The rapid development of polymer science has led to literally thousands of different monomers and an almost endless number of possibilities arising from their combination. The most promising strategy to date has been to consider natural products as macromolecules that provide the best option for obtaining functional materials. Proteins, with their high levels of complexity and functionality, are one of the best examples of this approach. In addition, the development of genetic engineering has permitted the design and highly controlled synthesis of proteinaceous materials with complex and advanced functionalities. Elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs) are presented herein as an example of an extraordinary convergence of different properties that is not found in any other synthetic polymer system. These materials are highly biocompatible, stimuli-responsive, show unusual self-assembly properties, and can incorporate bioactive domains and other functionalities along the polypeptide chain. These attributes are an important factor in the development of biomedical and biotechnological applications such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, purification of recombinant proteins, biosensors or stimuli-responsive surfaces.
authors.affiliation: G.I.R. Bioforge, University of Valladolid, CIBER-BBN, Paseo de Belén 11, Valladolid, Spain, cabello@eis.uva.es.
authors.forename: José Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Cabello
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pierna
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Colino
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García-Arévalo
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Arias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D004549:Elastin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004337:Drug Carriers; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004549:Elastin