Tropoelastin ’nanosprings’ provide elasticity in tissues such as skin, blood vessels and lungs.
An international team of scientists from Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Europe, led by the University of Sydney, has solved the structural puzzle of the main component of elastin, the protein that gives our vital organs their ability to expand and contract. The discovery could lead to major advances in treatment for burns victims and for patients who need to replace damaged blood vessels. The findings, published in this month's edition of the highly acclaimed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS), describe the spring-like structure of elastin's essential element, tropoelastin. Initiator and research project leader, Professor Tony Weiss from the School of Molecular Bioscience , said: "Tropoelastin is a tiny protein 'nanospring' in the human body. Our bodies assemble these nanosprings to put elasticity into tissues such as skin, blood vessels and lungs." "Our finding is the result of more than a decade of international collaboration. Our scientific teamwork spans Australia, the UK, USA and Europe. We discovered that tropoelastin is a curved, spiral-shaped molecule with an attached 'foot' that helps it attach to human cells.
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