Abstract
Porous biomaterials are of significant interest in a variety of biomedical applications as they enable the diffusion of nutrients and gases as well as the removal of metabolic waste from implants. Pores also provide 3D spaces for cell compartmentalization and the development of complex structures such as vasculature and the extracellular matrix. Given the variation in the extracellular matrix composition across and within different tissues, it is necessary to tailor the physicochemical characteristics of biomaterials and or surfaces thereof for optimal bespoke applications. In this regard, different synthetic and natural polymers have seen increased usage in the development of biomaterials and surface coatings; among them, elastin-like polypeptides and their recombinant derivatives have received increased advocacy. The modular assembly of these molecules, which can be controlled at a molecular level, presents a flexible platform for the endowment of bespoke biomaterial properties. In this review, various elastin-like recombinamer–based porous biomaterials for both soft and hard tissue applications are discussed and their current and future applications evaluated.
Highlights
The body has the ability to heal small tissue damage or loss, large and severe tissue damage due to trauma or disease remain a challenge and are associated with disability, reduced quality of life, and in some cases, death (Krafts, 2010)
Elastin-based polymers such as elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) and elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs) have gained popularity owing to their inherent unique elastic recoil properties and physicochemical properties that can be controlled at a molecular level to endow bespoke properties suitable for the desired scaffold fabrication method and target biomaterial architectural features
The degree of control of scaffold features such as pore size and porosity afforded by scaffold fabrication parameters such as temperature, polymer solvent, solute concentration, cooling rate, solvents, and porogen type can be further enhanced by varying ELR amino acid sequence to control parameters such as polymer molecular weight, charge, solubility, transition temperatures, biocompatibility, and biodegradation
Summary
The body has the ability to heal small tissue damage or loss, large and severe tissue damage due to trauma or disease remain a challenge and are associated with disability, reduced quality of life, and in some cases, death (Krafts, 2010). Different methods have been developed for the fabrication of porous materials that allow pore size and porosity control for a variety of polymer types and target applications.
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