Stimuli-Responsive Smart Gels Realized via Modular Protein Design

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• 作者：Tijana Z. Grove ; Chinedum O. Osuji ; Jason D. Forster ; Eric R. Dufresne ; Lynne Regan
• 刊名：Journal of the American Chemical Society
• 出版年：2010
• 出版时间：October 13, 2010
• 年：2010
• 卷：132
• 期：40
• 页码：14024-14026
• 全文大小：178K
• 年卷期：v.132,no.40(October 13, 2010)
• ISSN：1520-5126

文摘

Smart gels have a variety of applications, including tissue engineering and controlled drug delivery. Here we present a modular, bottom-up approach that permits the creation of protein-based smart gels with encoded morphology, functionality, and responsiveness to external stimuli. The properties of these gels are encoded by the proteins from which they are synthesized. In particular, the strength and density of the network of intermolecular cross-links are specified by the interactions of the gels’ constituent protein modules with their cognate peptide ligands. Thus, these gels exhibit stimuli-responsive assembly and disassembly, dissolving (or gelling) under conditions that weaken (or strengthen) the protein−peptide interaction. We further demonstrate that such gels can encapsulate and release both proteins and small molecules and that their rheological properties are well suited for biomedical applications.