Elastic molecular machines in metabolism and soft-tissue restoration.

Elastic protein-based machines (bioelastic materials) can be designed to perform diverse biological energy conversions. Coupled with the remarkable energy-conversion capacity of cells, this makes possible a tissue-restoration approach to tissue engineering. When properly attached to the extracellular matrix, cells sense the forces to which they are subjected and respond by producing an extracellular matrix that will withstand those forces. Elastic protein-based polymers can be designed as temporary functional scaffoldings that cells can enter, attach to, spread, sense forces and remodel, with the potential to restore natural tissue.