Fibrin-based biomaterials: modulation of macroscopic properties through rational design at the molecular level.
Fibrinogen is one of the primary components of the coagulation cascade and rapidly forms an insoluble matrix following tissue injury. In addition to its important role in hemostasis, fibrin acts as a scaffold for tissue repair and provides important cues for directing cell phenotype following injury. Because of these properties and the ease of polymerization of the material, fibrin has been widely utilized as a biomaterial for over a century. Modifying the macroscopic properties of fibrin, such as elasticity and porosity, has been somewhat elusive until recently, yet with a molecular-level rational design approach it can now be somewhat easily modified through alterations of molecular interactions key to the protein's polymerization process. This review outlines the biochemistry of fibrin and discusses methods for modification of molecular interactions and their application to fibrin based biomaterials.
The School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
Ashley C
AC
Brown
The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA. Electronic address: thomas.barker@bme.gatech.edu.
Thomas H
TH
Barker
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005337:Fibrin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D058105:Polymerization / Q000187:drug effects; D059748:Proteolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005337:Fibrin
Biomaterial design; Fibrin; Fibrin glue; Tissue engineering; Wound repair