Effect of proteins on the synthesis and assembly of calcium phosphate nanomaterials.

Recent developments on biomineralization and biomaterials have demonstrated that proteins play an important role in the formation of biominerals in the body, which induce or inhibit mineralization of calcium phosphate together with modulation of the mineral phase structure. Many efforts have been made to understand the mechanism of this process and mimic the exquisite structure of biominerals in biomimetic methodologies. This review is focused on recent advances in the synthesis of calcium phosphate materials by taking advantage of protein assemblies. We try to review the examples of templates based on proteins and polypeptides that have been successfully employed to manufacture calcium phosphate nanomaterials.