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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Production of Elastin-like Protein Hydrogels for Encapsulation and Immunostaining of Cells in 3D
Published on: May 19, 2018
Cellular interactions with elastin
Ursula R Rodgers1, Anthony S Weiss
1School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Abstract:
Elastin is a key structural component of the extracellular matrix. Tropoelastin is the soluble precursor of elastin. In addition to providing elastic recoil to various tissues such as the aorta and lung, elastin, tropoelastin and elastin degradation products are able to influence cell function and promote cellular responses. These responses include chemotaxis, proliferation and cell adhesion. The interaction of elastin products with cells has been attributed to the elastin receptor. However, additional cell-surface receptors have also been identified. These include G protein-coupled receptors and integrins. The potential roles of these receptors in cell-elastin interactions, with particular focus on elastin formation are discussed.
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