Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2025

Design and Construction of Artificial Extracellular Matrix aECM Proteins from Escherichia coli for Skin Tissue Engineering
Published on: June 11, 2015
Construction of a Collagen-like Protein Based on Elastin-like Polypeptide Fusion and Evaluation of Its Performance in
Yingli Chen1, Yuanyuan Wu1, Fengmin Xiong1
1Ganjiang Chinese Medicine Innovation Center, Nanchang 330100, China.
Abstract:
In the healing of wounds, human-like collagen (hCol) is essential. However, collagen-based composite dressings have poor stability in vivo, which severely limits their current therapeutic potential. Based on the above, we have developed a recombinant fusion protein named hCol-ELP, which consists of hCol and an elastin-like peptide (ELP). Then, we examined the physicochemical and biological properties of hCol-ELP. The results indicated that the stability of the hCol-ELP fusion protein exhibited a more compact and homogeneous lamellar microstructure along with collagen properties, it was found to be significantly superior to the stability of free hCol. The compound hCol-ELP demonstrated a remarkable capacity to induce the proliferation and migration of mouse embryo fibroblast cells (NIH/3T3), as well as enhance collagen synthesis in human skin fibroblasts (HSF) when tested in vitro. In vivo, hCol-ELP demonstrated significant enhancements in healing rate and a reduction in the time required for scab removal, thereby exhibiting a scar-free healing effect. The findings provide a crucial theoretical foundation for the implementation of an hCol-ELP protein dressing in fields associated with the healing of traumatic injuries.
Related Concept Videos
Phases of Wound Repair
Formation of Blood Clot
In case of deep injuries, trauma to blood vessels results in blood loss. In the meantime, phospholipids released from the ruptured endothelial cellular membrane are converted into arachidonic...
Elastin is Responsible for Tissue Elasticity
Ligaments and tendons are made of dense regular connective tissue, but in ligaments not all fibers are parallel. Dense regular elastic tissue contains elastin fibers and...
Fibril-associated Collagen
For example, the type II collagen fibrils in cartilage have covalently bound type IX fibril-associated collagens at regular intervals. Other types of fibril-associated collagens are...
Fibrous Proteins
Collagens are the Major Structural Proteins of ECM
Connective tissue proper includes loose...
Type IV Collagen of Basal Lamina
A type IV collagen molecule has six alpha chains which can...

