Protein-engineered biomaterials for cartilage therapeutics and repair

Cartilage degeneration and injury are major causes of pain and disability that effect millions, and yet treatment options for conditions like osteoarthritis (OA) continue to be mainly palliative or involve com-plete replacement of injured joints. Several biomaterial strategies have been explored to address cartilage repair either by the delivery of therapeutics or as support for tissue repair, however the complex struc-ture of cartilage tissue, its mechanical needs, and lack of regenerative capacity have hindered this goal. Recent advances in synthetic biology have opened new possibilities for engineered proteins to address these unique needs. Engineered protein and peptide-based materials benefit from inherent biocompati-bility and nearly unlimited tunability as they utilize the body's natural building blocks to fabricate a vari-ety of supramolecular structures. The pathophysiology and needs of OA cartilage are presented here, along with an overview of the current state of the art and next steps for protein-engineered repair strate-gies for cartilage.(c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.