ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors describe a new concept of using genetically engineered protein domains as crosslinkers of synthetic macromolecules. Genetic engineering, or recombinant DNA technology, is being employed to produce protein-based biomaterials. The authors discuss a new concept of hydrogel design—hybrid hydrogels consisting of synthetic polymers and engineered protein domains. Hydrogels can be categorized as chemical and physical gels based upon the nature of the crosslinking force. The most important ways to synthesize hydrogels are crosslinking copolymerization, crosslinking of polymeric precursors, and polymer-polymer reactions. Degradation of hybrid hydrogels of N-(2-hydroxypropy) methacrylamide with enzymatically degradable oligopeptide crosslinks have been studied. Compared with the hybrid hydrogels formed using TEK42 as crosslinkers, gels crosslinked by such heterodimeric coiled-coil domains would be expected to have better defined pore size, better crosslinking efficiency with less intramolecular crosslinker, and a lower dissociation temperature.
