Impaired elastic fiber assembly constitutes one major problem in skin wound healing. Recent data indicate that a ternary complex involving a splicing form of
beta-galactosidase associated with
cathepsin-A and neuraminidase-1 directs the transport of
tropoelastin to the fibroblast plasma membrane and participates in the deposition of the
elastin precursor onto a microfibrillar scaffold. In addition, this
elastin receptor complex is ubiquitously expressed and also acts as a true receptor for
elastin-derived
peptides produced during the initial stage of
wound repair following
elastase-mediated proteolysis action. Among the
peptides generated, those having a x.G.x.x.P.G. motif upregulate (i) keratinocyte migration, (ii) endothelial cell angiogenic phenotype, (iii) fibroblast proliferation, and (iv) induction of the expression of
matrix metalloproteinases,
type I collagen, and
tropoelastin. All of these properties could accelerate the different stages of
wound repair.
Elastin-derived
peptides from a chemical or a proteolytic digest of insoluble
elastin alone or linked to the
collagen scaffold significantly improve skin wound healing and dermal regeneration in vivo in several animal models. Such a beneficial influence has been recently extended to the treatment of
burn patients. In this respect, recent investigations have focused on the design of
elastin-derived
peptides or
elastin-building blocks, as obtained from
peptide chemistry or by genetic engineering, to elaborate biocompatible
elastin peptides, which are considered as ideal
biomaterials for "catalyzing" skin repair and regeneration following injury.