Elastin-Like Polypeptides for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are stimulus-responsive biopolymers derived from human elastin. Their unique properties—including lower critical solution temperature phase behavior and minimal immunogenicity—make them attractive materials for a variety of biomedical applications. ELPs also benefit from recombinant synthesis and genetically encoded design; these enable control over the molecular weight and precise incorporation of peptides and pharmacological agents into the sequence. Because their size and sequence are defined, ELPs benefit from exquisite control over their structure and function, qualities that cannot be matched by synthetic polymers. As such, ELPs have been engineered to assemble into unique architectures and display bioactive agents for a variety of applications. This review discusses the design and representative biomedical applications of ELPs, focusing primarily on their use in tissue engineering and drug delivery.