Elastin as a biomaterial for tissue engineering.

Biomaterials based upon elastin and elastin-derived molecules are increasingly investigated for their application in tissue engineering. This interest is fuelled by the remarkable properties of this structural protein, such as elasticity, self-assembly, long-term stability, and biological activity. Elastin can be applied in biomaterials in various forms, including insoluble elastin fibres, hydrolysed soluble elastin, recombinant tropoelastin (fragments), repeats of synthetic peptide sequences and as block copolymers of elastin, possibly in combination with other (bio)polymers. In this review, the properties of various elastin-based materials will be discussed, and their current and future applications evaluated.