Protein-based materials in load-bearing tissue-engineering applications.
Proteins such as collagen and elastin are robust molecules that constitute nanocomponents in the hierarchically organized ultrastructures of bone and tendon as well as in some of the soft tissues that have load-bearing functions. In the present paper, the macromolecular structure and function of the proteins are reviewed and the potential of mammalian and non-mammalian proteins in the engineering of load-bearing tissue substitutes are discussed. Chimeric proteins have become an important structural biomaterial source and their potential in tissue engineering is highlighted. Processing of proteins challenge investigators and in this review rapid prototyping and microfabrication are proposed as methods for obtaining precisely defined custom-built tissue engineered structures with intrinsic microarchitecture.
METU, Department of Biotechnology, Ankara, Turkey.
Esen
E
Sayin
Erkan Türker
ET
Baran
Vasif
V
Hasirci
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000737:chemistry; D066330:Printing, Three-Dimensional; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D047011:Silk / Q000737:chemistry; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000639:trends*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D016474:Weight-Bearing
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011506:Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D047011:Silk; D007633:Keratins; D003094:Collagen
biomaterial; load bearing; protein; regeneration; scaffold; tissue engineering