Tunable elastin-mimetic hybrid polymers (EMHPs) with alternating synthetic polymer and peptide domains have been developed to mimic the chemical, structural, and mechanical properties of natural elastin. Various azide-terminated synthetic polymers and alkyne-functionalized peptides were polymerized via copper (I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition reaction to form hybrid alternating multiblock copolymers. EMHPs containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) alternating with an alanine-rich, lysine-containing peptide with a sequence of (AKAAAKA)2 (AK2) were synthesized and characterized. Cell-adhesive EMHPs were synthesized using AK2 peptide tagged with a fibronectin-derived RGD peptide. The resultant multiblock copolymers, when covalently crosslinked, have mechanical properties similar to natural elastin and are capable of supporting the attachment and proliferation of fibroblasts. Additionally, hybrid multiblock copolymers of poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) and a hydrophobic (VPGVG)2 (VG2) peptide from natural elastin were synthesized.  PAA/VG2 multiblock copolymer self-assembled into stable, pH-responsive nanoparticles in aqueous solution. This modular hybrid system allows facile substitution of the polymer and peptide segments to add functional groups for crosslinking, biologically active domains, variations in secondary structure, pH-responsiveness and self-assembly capability for applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery.

Tunable elastin-mimetic multiblock hybrid copolymers for biomedical applications

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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