2016年7月11日
受贻贝能够使用其BYSAL线程中发现的独特蛋白质紧密连接到金属表面的能力的启发，该团队的研究人员来自瑞肯have managed to attach a biologically active molecule to a titanium surface. This achievement is likely to open doors for implants that can be more biologically beneficial.
钛has been used in medical applications such as dental implants and artificial joints. Although titanium is not harmful to tissues and strong, it lacks certain of the beneficial biological properties of natural tissues such as natural teeth and bones.
The researchers’ work is based on former discoveries that mussels have the capacity to attach themselves to smooth surfaces because of a protein called as L-DOPA. It is known that this protein can strongly attach to smooth surfaces such as ceramics, rocks, or metals.
相同的蛋白质是人类多巴胺的前体。它也被用作帕金森氏病的治疗方法。
We thought it would be interesting to try to use various techniques to attach a biologically active protein—in our case we chose insulin-like growth factor-1, a promoter of cell proliferation—to a titanium surface like those used in implants.
Riken Nano医学工程实验室的Chen Zhang，该论文的第一作者于Angewandte Chemie发表
The team successfully developed a hybrid protein that possessed active parts of both the L-DOPA and the growth factor using a blend of treatment with tyrosinase and recombinant DNA technology. Tests revealed that the proteins had folded normally, and additional experiments in cell cultures illustrated that the IGF-1 continued to function as it should.
The success of the research was mainly due to the addition of the L-DOPA. The team was able to prove that the proteins attached strongly to the titanium surface, and stayed attached despite the metal being washed with a water-based solution - phosphate-buffered saline.
这类似于贻贝粘合剂的强大特性，贻贝粘合剂也可以固定在金属材料上。亚博网站下载
Zhang
We are very excited by this finding, because the modification process is a universal one that could be used with other proteins. It could allow us to prepare new cell-growth enhancing materials, with potential applications in cell culture systems and regenerative medicine. And it is particularly interesting that this is an example of biomimetics, where nature can teach us new ways to do things. The mussel has given us insights that could be used to allow us to live healthier lives.
Riken Rement Matter Scien中心新兴生物工程研究团队的团队负责人Yoshihiro Ito