Engineered Elastin‐Like Polypeptides: Intelligent Self‐Assembling Platforms for Biomedical Application

Elastin‐like polypeptides (ELPs), genetically programmable biomaterials derived from natural tropoelastin, exhibit unique reversible self‐assembly and aggregation behaviors driven by sequence‐encoded phase transitions. These dynamic structural transitions enable ELPs to form diverse supramolecular architectures—including nanoparticles, coacervates, and hydrogels—whose mechanical and physicochemical properties can be precisely tuned by molecular design. In this review, we summarize the characteristics and production methods of ELPs, highlighting their advantages over conventional chemical synthesis and biosynthesis strategies. We then discuss the diverse biomedical platforms based on ELPs, including their use as fusion tags for purification and delivery of peptides, proteins, enzymes, antibodies, and nucleic acids; as conjugates for targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics and imaging agents, and as components of advanced copolymers or smart coacervates construction. In addition, we highlight the applications of ELP‐based hydrogels in tissue regeneration, 3D model construction, and cancer treatment. Furthermore, we introduce the artificial intelligence‐assisted de novo design of ELPs with complex structures and functions. Finally, we provide perspectives on the current challenges and future opportunities of this field, underscoring the promise of ELP‐based biomaterials in driving the next generation of precision medicine.