Silk-elastinlike protein polymers for matrix-mediated cancer gene therapy

Silk-elastinlike protein polymers (SELPs) are recombinant polymers designed from silk fibroin and mammalian elastin amino acid repeats. These are versatile materials that have been examined as controlled release systems for intratumoral gene delivery. SELP hydrogels comprise monodisperse and tunable polymers that have the capability to control and localize the release and expression of plasmid DNA and viruses. This article reviews recent developments in the synthesis and characterization of SELP hydrogels and their use for matrix-mediated gene delivery. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.