Key points from article :
Elastin is a vital protein in the human body that allows tissues to stretch and return to their original shape, playing a key role in the function of lungs, blood vessels, and skin. However, its medical use has long been restricted because elastin is scarce, difficult to extract and purify, and can trigger immune reactions when transplanted from one person to another. Scientists attempted to mimic it with elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), which could be mass-produced but fell short of replicating the full complexity of natural elastin.
To overcome these challenges, a research team from POSTECH and Inha University engineered a novel protein by reassembling essential parts of tropoelastin, the building block of elastin. This newly designed biomaterial, named elastin domain-derived protein (EDDP), combines three functional domains: a hydrophobic domain that shapes its physical properties, a cross-linking domain for structural stability, and a cell-interaction domain that encourages communication and adhesion between cells.
EDDP offers the best of both worlds—it can be produced at scale like ELPs, but also retains the resilience and stretchability of natural elastin. Most importantly, it provides cell-interaction signals absent in earlier synthetic versions, enabling cells to adhere, survive, and grow more effectively. This makes it particularly promising for regenerative medicine, where tissue repair depends on both structural support and cellular activity.
The study, led by Professor Hyung Joon Cha of POSTECH in collaboration with Mr. Seung Kyeum Cho and Professor Yun Jung Yang’s team at Inha University, was published in Acta Biomaterialia. The researchers believe EDDP could one day be applied to regenerate tissues that rely heavily on elasticity, such as heart valves, blood vessels, or ligaments. Supported by national and industrial research programs in Korea, this innovation marks a major step toward biomaterials that closely replicate—and even improve upon—nature’s design.
