title: Multifunctional silk-tropoelastin biomaterial systems.
abstract: New multifunctional, degradable, polymeric biomaterial systems would provide versatile platforms to address cell and tissue needs in bothin vitroandin vivoenvironments. While protein-based composites or alloys are the building blocks of biological organisms, similar systems have not been largely exploited to dates to generatead hocbiomaterials able to control and direct biological functions, by recapitulating their inherent structural and mechanical complexities. Therefore, we have recently proposed silk-tropoelastin material platforms able to conjugate a mechanically robust and durable protein, silk, to a highly flexible and biologically active protein, tropoelastin. This review focuses on the elucidation of the interactions between silk and tropoelastin in order to control material structure, properties, and ultimately functions. In addition, an approach is provided for novel material designs to provide tools to control biological outcomes via surface roughness, elasticity, and net charge for neuronal and mesenchymal stem cell-based tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
authors.forename: Chiara E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Ghezzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rnjak-Kovacina
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia ; Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia ; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kaplan