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Entanglement-governed protein networks enable mechanically adaptive artificial skin for transplantation-scale skin replacement

Preprint Created on 15 Jun 2026 bioRxiv

Artificial skin substitutes that simultaneously achieve mechanical robustness, regenerative bioactivity, and transplantation-scale tissue integration remain challenging to engineer. Here we report a mechanically adaptive bilayer artificial skin based on entanglement-mediated protein networks. By integrating protein chain entanglement, flexible molecular linkers, and photo-triggered intermolecular crosslinking, we establish a hierarchically organized protein matrix with enhanced toughness, structural adaptability, and regenerative compatibility. Spatial biofunctionalization further enables integration of an antibacterial Zn2+-coordinated epidermal layer and a regenerative CLP-EGF-functionalized dermal layer within a unified construct. The engineered skin promotes cellular proliferation through PI3K-AKT-mTOR activation, exhibits sustained antibacterial activity, and supports large-area full-thickness skin replacement covering approximately 40% of the dorsal skin surface in mice. The construct further accelerates diabetic wound repair and extracellular matrix remodeling in vivo. These findings establish entanglement-mediated protein engineering as a strategy for mechanically adaptive regenerative biomaterials and provide a platform for transplantation-scale skin regeneration.

wang, L., Sun, Y., Liu, X., Wang, R., Huang, J., wang, W., Fan, K., Bai, J., Dong, Z., Jia, S., Xia, Y., Li, S., Wang, L., Chen, Y., Du, Y., Li, X.

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