Future of biotherapeutics: Harnessing mRNA to enhance elastin expression

Organs that are subjected to repeated stretching such as the skin, lungs, and vasculature rely on elasticity provided by the extracellular matrix (ECM) for structural integrity. Tissue elasticity is dependent on elastic fibers composed of a protein core of insoluble elastin that is assembled onto a microfiber scaffold. Tropoelastin (TE), the basic building block of elastin, is secreted as a soluble monomer that undergoes self-aggregation and cross-linking to form insoluble elastin. The process of elastogenesis is developmentally regulated and occurs early in life, with components of the elastin machinery, including TE, subsequently downregulated in adulthood.