Albumin as a Biomaterial and Therapeutic Agent in Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

Albumin is a constitutional plasma protein, with well-known biological functions, e.g., a nutrient for stem cells in culture. However, albumin is underutilized as a biomaterial in regenerative medicine. This review summarizes the advanced therapeutic uses of albumin, focusing on novel compositions that take advantage of the excellent regenerative potential of this protein. Albumin coating can be used for enhancing the biocompatibility of various types of implants, such as bone grafts or sutures. Albumin is mainly known as an anti-attachment protein; however, using it on implantable surfaces is just the opposite: it enhances stem cell adhesion and proliferation. The anticoagulant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of albumin allow fine-tuning of the biological reaction to implantable tissue-engineering constructs. Another potential use is combining albumin with natural or synthetic materials that results in novel composites suitable for cardiac, neural, hard and soft tissue engineering. Recent advances in materials have made it possible to electrospin the globular albumin protein, opening up new possibilities for albumin-based scaffolds for cell therapy. Several described technologies have already entered the clinical phase, making good use of the excellent biological, but also regulatory, manufacturing and clinical features of serum albumin.

Keywords: albumin; bone allograft; regenerative medicine; scaffolds; serum albumin.

Figure 1

Albumin origin. Created with BioRender.com accessed on 21 August 2022.

Figure 2

Serum albumin adsorbed onto the surfaces of mineralized bone grafts. Scanning electron microscopic images show in lower (A) and higher (C) magnification that albumin attaches to the surface as white flakes that contain ample pores and structured surfaces. (B) Freeze-drying of an albumin solution results in significantly higher protein adsorption than wet coating. Control group: 10% HSA with H₂O (non-FD in the 1st step). (D) The number of viable MSCs attached to bone granules coated with different types of human serum albumin. There was no difference in the MSC viability after 5 days of culture on dHSA coating (delipidated recombinant human serum albumin) versus the standard human serum albumin (Biotest, Grifols). Control group: bone granules without any additives. (One-way ANOVA, p < 0.001). All figures are original research figures.

Figure 3

Albumin coating on a biomaterial surface. Created with BioRender.com accessed on 21 August 2022.