Application of Recombinant Fusion Proteins for Tissue Engineering

Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays important roles in tissue engineering because cellular growth and differentiation, in the two-dimensional cell culture as well as in the three-dimensional space of the developing organism, require ECM with which the cells can interact. Also, the development of new synthetic ECMs is very important because ECMs facilitate the localization and delivery of cells to the specific sites in the body. Therefore, the development of synthetic ECMs to replace the natural ECMs is increasingly essential and promising in tissue engineering. Recombinant genetic engineering method has enabled the synthesis of protein-based polymers with precisely controlled functionalities for the development of new synthetic ECMs. In this review, the design and construction of structure-based recombinant fusion proteins such as elastin-like polymers (ELPs) and silk-like polymers (SLPs), cell-bound growth factor-based recombinant fusion proteins such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), hybrid system composed of recombinant protein and synthetic polymer, and E-cadherin-based fusion protein by recombinant genetic engineering were explained for application of the synthetic ECMs. Modulation of mechanical properties, stimuli-sensitivity, biodegradation and cell recognition can be achieved through precise control of sequence, length, hydrophobicity and cell binding domain by recombinant genetic engineering.