ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the properties of protein materials, such as silk fibroin, keratin, and elastin, and their usage in nanoparticle drug delivery and biomedical applications. Protein polymers are natural macromolecules derived from plants and animals which makes them an easily obtainable, renewable resource. Elastin is an important protein found in elastic fibers, specifically in the extracellular matrix. Protein-based nanoparticles have also found new use as drug delivery vehicles. The molecular weight of the protein used to create the nanoparticle is important to consider since it can affect how much drug can be effectively stored and the particle targeting mechanism in the body. Protein particle composites contain more than one protein or polymer, the addition of which can be used to tune the mechanical and physical properties of a drug delivery vehicle. Soy protein is a globular protein isolated from soybeans, known as soy protein isolate, and is one of the most abundant types of plant proteins.
