In the large conduit arteries, elastin is important in maintaining vascular compliance. Studies in animal models suggest that elastin degradation may promote arteriosclerotic vascular changes. There is already a well-established link between aortic stiffening and mortality in the general population and in patients undergoing dialysis. Elastin degradation is mediated by several proteases, includ...

Interactions between staphylococci and components of the extracellular matrix mediate attachment of the bacteria to host tissues and organs and define an important mechanism leading to colonization, invasion, and formation of metastatic abscesses. We have previously demonstrated a specific binding interaction between Staphylococcus aureus and elastin, one of the major protein components of the ...

Mechanical failure of soft tissues is characteristic of life-threatening diseases, including capillary stress failure, pulmonary emphysema, and vessel wall aneurysms. Failure occurs when mechanical forces are sufficiently high to rupture the enzymatically weakened extracellular matrix (ECM). Elastin, an important structural ECM protein, is known to stretch beyond 200% strain before failing. How...

Atrophoderma is a rare dermal disorder characterized by a patchy distribution of areas apparently devoid of elastic fibers. Skin fibroblast cultures were established from the normal and affected dermis of a patient with this disorder. Human tropoelastin was identified in culture medium by use of electroblotting and anti-elastin antisera. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to establis...

Arteries display a nonlinear anisotropic behavior dictated by the elastic properties and structural arrangement of its main constituents, elastin, collagen, and vascular smooth muscle. Elastin provides for structural integrity and for the compliance of the vessel at low pressure, whereas collagen gives the tensile resistance required at high pressures. Based on the model of Zulliger et al. (Zul...

Elastin, a principal structural component of native arteries, has distinct biological and mechanical advantages when used as a biomaterial; however, its low ultimate tensile strength has limited its use as an arterial conduit. We have developed a scaffold, consisting of a purified elastin tubular conduit strengthened with fibrin bonded layers of acellular small intestinal submucosa (aSIS) for p...

We have recently demonstrated that the blockade of matrix metalloproteinases by local overexpression of the intrinsic inhibitor tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) reduces intimal hyperplasia. We now report a major change in the elastin content of the intima of rat carotid arteries seeded with TIMP-1-overexpressing smooth muscle cells. To understand the mechanism responsible...

Elastin is a major structural component of large elastic arteries and a principal determinant of arterial biomechanical properties. Elastin loss-of-function mutations in humans have been linked to the autosomal-dominant disease supravalvular aortic stenosis, which is characterized by stenotic lesions in both the systemic and pulmonary circulations. To better understand how elastin insufficiency...

Vascular tissue contains abundant elastic fibers that contribute to vessel elasticity. Vonapanitase (formerly PRT-201) is a recombinant human chymotrypsin-like elastase family member 1 (CELA1) shown to cleave the elastin component of elastic fibers, resulting in increased vessel diameter. The purpose of these current studies was to determine vein diameter, wall thickness, elastin content, and v...

Tropoelastin (TE), the soluble precursor of insoluble elastin fibers, is produced in minimal amounts in adults. Burn injuries result in inflexible collagen-rich scars because of lack of elastin fiber formation. We studied the feasibility of using recombinant human tropoelastin to enable elastin fiber production in burn and surgical scars to improve skin flexibility. In a swine hypertrophic burn...