Optically Transparent Recombinant Silk-Elastinlike Protein Polymer Films

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• 作者：Weibing Teng ; Yiding Huang ; Joseph Cappello ; Xiaoyi Wu
• 刊名：Journal of Physical Chemistry B
• 出版年：2011
• 出版时间：February 24, 2011
• 年：2011
• 卷：115
• 期：7
• 页码：1608-1615
• 全文大小：963K
• 年卷期：v.115,no.7(February 24, 2011)
• ISSN：1520-5207

文摘

Recombinant protein polymers, evaluated exten-sively as biomaterials for applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering, are rarely reported as being optically transparent. Here we report the notable optical transparency of films composed of a genetically engineered silk-elastinlike protein polymer SELP-47K. SELP-47K films of 100 渭m in thickness display a transmittance of 93% in the wavelength range of 350鈭?00 nm. While covalent cross-linking of SELP-47K via glutaraldehyde decreases its transmittance to 77% at the wavelength of 800 nm, noncovalent cross-linking using methanol slightly increases it to 95%. Non- and covalent cross-linking of SELP-47K films also influences their secondary structures and water contents. Cell viability and proliferation analyses further reveal the excellent cytocompatibility of both non- and covalently cross-linked SELP-47K films. The combination of high optical transparency and cytocompatibility of SELP-47K films, together with their previously reported outstanding mechanical properties, suggests that this protein polymer may be useful in unique, new biomedical applications.