title: Elastin-like protein matrix reinforced with collagen microfibers for soft tissue repair.
abstract: Artificial composites designed to mimic the structure and properties of native extracellular matrix may lead to acellular materials for soft tissue repair and replacement, which display mechanical strength, stiffness, and resilience resembling native tissue. We describe the fabrication of thin lamellae consisting of continuous collagen microfiber embedded at controlled orientations and densities in a recombinant elastin-like protein polymer matrix. Multilamellar stacking affords flexible, protein-based composite sheets whose properties are dependent upon both the elastomeric matrix and collagen content and organization. Sheets are produced with properties that range over 13-fold in elongation to break (23-314%), six-fold in Young's modulus (5.3-33.1 MPa), and more than two-fold in tensile strength (1.85-4.08 MPa), exceeding that of a number of native human tissues, including urinary bladder, pulmonary artery, and aorta. A sheet approximating the mechanical response of human abdominal wall fascia is investigated as a fascial substitute for ventral hernia repair. Protein-based composite patches prevent hernia recurrence in Wistar rats over an 8-week period with new tissue formation and sustained structural integrity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 110 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Caves
authors.forename: Wanxing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Vivek A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Carolyn A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.forename: Elliot L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Chaikof
mesh_terms: D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D020405:Dermis / Q000637:transplantation; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D004549:Elastin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D015202:Protein Engineering; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D013718:Tensile Strength; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D003094:Collagen; D004549:Elastin