麻豆淫院

A joint research team from POSTECH and Inha University researchers has successfully developed a novel biomaterial that overcomes the limitations of natural elastin.

Our bodies contain a special protein called elastin, which has a remarkable ability to stretch like a rubber band and snap back to its original shape. This elasticity is crucial for the function of various organs, allowing the lungs to inhale and exhale, blood vessels to expand and contract with each heartbeat, and the skin to remain smooth and supple.

Despite its utility, using natural elastin for medical applications is challenging. It's available in limited quantities naturally, the purification process is complex, and there's a risk of an immune reaction when administered to humans in other individuals. To address these issues, scientists developed elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), which could be produced in large quantities but could not fully replicate the complex, precise functions of natural elastin.

The joint research team from POSTECH and Inha University created a new protein by selecting and reassembling the most critical parts of tropoelastin, the precursor to human elastin. They precisely combined three distinct domains鈥攁 hydrophobic domain that influences the protein's physical properties, a cross-linking domain that provides stability, and a cell-interaction domain that promotes interactions between cells. This new protein was named elastin domain-derived protein (EDDP).

EDDP offers several advantages. It can be mass-produced like conventional ELPs while retaining the elasticity and resilience comparable to natural elastin. More remarkably, EDDP promotes cell adhesion and growth by transmitting signals that were lacking in conventional ELPs. This enhanced cell-interaction function directly aids cell survival and growth, making it highly effective in regenerating damaged tissues.

Professor Hyung Joon Cha of POSTECH expressed optimism about the discovery, stating, "This newly developed EDDP could be used to regenerate tissues where elasticity is crucial, such as heart valves, blood vessels damaged by heart disease, or torn ligaments."

The research, led by Professor Cha's team at POSTECH with Seung Kyeum Cho and Professor Yun Jung Yang's team at Inha University, is online in Acta Biomaterialia.