Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

In situ three-dimensional printing for reparative and regenerative therapy.

Biomedical microdevices·2019

Same author

A Perspective on 3D Bioprinting in Tissue Regeneration.

Bio-design and manufacturing·2019

Same author

Sutureless repair of corneal injuries using naturally derived bioadhesive hydrogels.

Science advances·2019

Same author

Hierarchically Patterned Polydopamine-Containing Membranes for Periodontal Tissue Engineering.

ACS nano·2019

Same author

A Microfabricated Sandwiching Assay for Nanoliter and High-Throughput Biomarker Screening.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2019

Same author

A simple layer-stacking technique to generate biomolecular and mechanical gradients in photocrosslinkable hydrogels.

Biofabrication·2019

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Production of Elastin-like Protein Hydrogels for Encapsulation and Immunostaining of Cells in 3D

Production of Elastin-like Protein Hydrogels for Encapsulation and Immunostaining of Cells in 3D

Published on: May 19, 2018

Engineered cell-laden human protein-based elastomer.

Nasim Annabi¹, Suzanne M Mithieux, Pinar Zorlutuna

¹Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139, USA.

|May 4, 2013

Summary

Researchers developed a new bioelastomer, methacrylated tropoelastin (MeTro), from a human protein for tissue engineering. This fast-fabricating, highly elastic hydrogel supports cell growth and offers tunable properties for soft tissue applications.

More Related Videos

Design and Construction of Artificial Extracellular Matrix (aECM) Proteins from Escherichia coli for Skin Tissue Engineering

Design and Construction of Artificial Extracellular Matrix (aECM) Proteins from Escherichia coli for Skin Tissue Engineering

Published on: June 11, 2015

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Published on: December 26, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 11, 2026

Production of Elastin-like Protein Hydrogels for Encapsulation and Immunostaining of Cells in 3D

Production of Elastin-like Protein Hydrogels for Encapsulation and Immunostaining of Cells in 3D

Published on: May 19, 2018

Design and Construction of Artificial Extracellular Matrix (aECM) Proteins from Escherichia coli for Skin Tissue Engineering

Design and Construction of Artificial Extracellular Matrix (aECM) Proteins from Escherichia coli for Skin Tissue Engineering

Published on: June 11, 2015

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Published on: December 26, 2017

Area of Science:

Biomaterials Science
Tissue Engineering
Protein Engineering

Background:

Elastic tissue equivalence is crucial for synthetic materials in soft tissue engineering.
Tropoelastin, a human protein, provides natural elasticity and cell interaction capabilities.
Existing synthetic materials often lack the required elasticity and biocompatibility.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel bioelastomer from tropoelastin for soft tissue engineering applications.
To create a highly extensible and cell-compatible hydrogel with tunable properties.
To demonstrate the potential of this bioelastomer in 3D cell encapsulation and 2D cell culture.

Main Methods:

Methacrylation of tropoelastin to create methacrylated tropoelastin (MeTro).
Photocrosslinking of MeTro in aqueous solution for rapid hydrogel formation (<1 minute).
Characterization of hydrogel mechanical properties, extensibility, and pore characteristics.

Main Results:

MeTro hydrogels exhibited high extensibility (up to 400%) and superior mechanical properties compared to other photocrosslinkable hydrogels.
The bioelastomer demonstrated excellent cell compatibility, supporting cell encapsulation and proliferation in 3D and 2D formats.
Tunable physical properties (elasticity, stiffness, pore size) were achieved by adjusting methacrylation degree and protein concentration.

Conclusions:

Methacrylated tropoelastin (MeTro) is a promising bioelastomer for tissue engineering, mimicking natural elastic tissue properties.
Fast, non-toxic photocrosslinking enables efficient fabrication of functional, cell-compatible hydrogels.
This tunable bioelastomer offers new avenues for resilient soft tissue regeneration and repair.