Open AccessNovel Protein Therapeutics Created Using the Elastin-Like Polypeptide Platform
Author(s) -
Gene L. Bidwell
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.14
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1548-9213
pISSN - 1548-9221
DOI - 10.1152/physiol.00026.2021
Subject(s) - drug delivery , elastin , drug , targeted drug delivery , fusion protein , chemistry , nanotechnology , drug carrier , computational biology , biophysics , materials science , biochemistry , biology , medicine , recombinant dna , pharmacology , pathology , gene
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are bioengineered proteins that have a unique physical property, a thermally triggered inverse phase transition, that can be exploited for drug delivery. ELP-fusion proteins can be used as soluble biologics, thermally targeted drug carriers, self-assembling nanoparticles, and slow-release drug depots. Because of their unique physical characteristics and versatility for delivery of nearly any type of therapeutic, ELP-based drug delivery systems represent a promising platform for biologics development.