Ultrafast crosslinking, strongly adhesive de novo protein hydrogels promote cartilage regeneration

, and supported chondrogenic maintenance. These hydrogels also promoted hyaline-like cartilage matrix regeneration in the partial-thickness cartilage defect rabbit model. Overall, our findings present a bottom-up protein engineering strategy for developing multifunctional adhesive hydrogels, offering a promising translational platform for musculoskeletal disease treatment, in particular cartilage repair.