Protein‐Engineered Elastin Fibers as Building Blocks for The Textile‐Based Assembly of Tissue Equivalents

Advanced Functional Materials, vol. 34

Abstract

Abstract Native tissues feature unique hierarchical designs, in which fiber units are arranged from the bottom up in anisotropic patterns. The processing of biomaterials into fibers, followed by their textile‐like assembly into complex patterns, is therefore a promising avenue to engineer native‐like tissue replacements. Here it is shown for the first time the fabrication of meter‐long hydrogel fibers prepared from engineered elastin using a microinjection system and exploiting the catalyst‐free click chemistry. Given their similarity to native elastin, the fabricated elastin‐like fibers achieved excellent stretching (500%) and recoiling performance. Moreover, the fabrication scheme is compatible with the implementation of a salt‐leaching gas‐foaming approach, resulting in highly porous elastin‐like fibers (the first of their kind). From the translation perspective, the fibers can be autoclaved, which allows for sterilization and long‐term storage. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured on autoclaved fibers produced a confluent endothelial layer lining the fiber surface, in which the cells became aligned in response to physiological fiber stretching. It is also shown that these functional fibers can be assembled by weaving, braiding and knitting, with various spatial patterns. Overall, the elastin‐like fibers can be used as building blocks for the reconstruction of functional tissues using the principles of textile technology.

Authors 7

1. Ikram El Maachi Aachen Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex) AME-Institute of Applied Medical Engineering

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biohybrid & Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME –Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute RWTH Aachen University 52074 Aachen Germany

2. Alexander Loewen Aachen Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex) AME-Institute of Applied Medical Engineering

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biohybrid & Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME –Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute RWTH Aachen University 52074 Aachen Germany

3. Sergio Acosta Aachen Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex) AME-Institute of Applied Medical Engineering

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biohybrid & Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME –Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute RWTH Aachen University 52074 Aachen Germany

4. Stephan Rütten Aachen Electron Microscopy Facility

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen

   Affiliation as printed

   Electron Microscopy Facility Uniklinik RWTH Aachen 52074 Aachen Germany

   Electron Microscopy Facility, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany

5. José Carlos Rodríguez‐Cabello

   Universidad de Valladolid · Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine

   Affiliation as printed

   CIBER‐BBN, Edificio LUCIA CIBER‐BBN, Edificio LUCIA Universidad de Valladolid Valladolid 47011 Spain

   CIBER-BBN, Edificio LUCIA, CIBER-BBN, Edificio LUCIA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, 47011 Spain

6. Stefan Jockenhoevel Aachen Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex) AME-Institute of Applied Medical Engineering

   RWTH Aachen University · Maastricht University

   Affiliation as printed

   AMIBM‐Aachen‐Maastricht‐Institute for Biobased Materials Maastricht University Geleen 6167 RD The Netherlands

   Department of Biohybrid & Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME –Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute RWTH Aachen University 52074 Aachen Germany

   Department of Biohybrid & Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME –Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute RWTH Aachen University 52074 Aachen Germany

7. Alicia Fernández‐Colino corresponding Aachen Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex) AME-Institute of Applied Medical Engineering

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biohybrid & Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME –Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute RWTH Aachen University 52074 Aachen Germany