Recombinant protein-based injectable materials for biomedical applications

Abstract

Injectable nanocarriers and hydrogels have found widespread use in a variety of biomedical applications such as local and sustained biotherapeutic cargo delivery, and as cell-instructive matrices for tissue engineering. Recent advances in the development and application of recombinant protein-based materials as injectable platforms under physiological conditions have made them useful platforms for the development of nanoparticles and tissue engineering matrices, which are reviewed in this work. Protein-engineered biomaterials are highly customizable, and they provide distinctly tunable rheological properties, encapsulation efficiencies, and delivery profiles. In particular, the key advantages of emerging technologies which harness the stimuli-responsive properties of recombinant polypeptide-based materials are highlighted in this review.

Keywords: Bioinspired materials; Drug delivery; Injectable hydrogels; Nanocarriers; Polypeptides; Recombinant proteins; Regenerative medicine; Stimuli-responsive polymers; Tissue engineering.