Elastin is an essential component of arteries which provides structural integrity and instructs smooth muscle cells to adopt a quiescent state. Despite interaction of endothelial cells with
elastin in the internal elastic lamina, the potential for exploiting this interaction therapeutically has not been explored in detail. In this study, we show that
tropoelastin (a precursor of
elastin) stimulates endothelial cell migration and adhesion more than smooth muscle cells. The
biological activity of
tropoelastin on endothelial cells is contained in the
VGVAPG domain and in the carboxy-terminal 17-amino
acids. We show that the effects of the carboxy-terminal 17
amino acids, but not those of
VGVAPG, are mediated by
integrin α(V)β(3). We demonstrate that
tropoelastin covalently linked to
stainless steel disks promotes adhesion of endothelial progenitor cells and endothelial cells to the
metal surfaces. The adherent cells on the
tropoelastin-coated
metal surfaces form monolayers that can withstand and respond to arterial shear stress. Because of the unique effects of
tropoelastin on endothelial and smooth muscle cells, coating intravascular devices with
tropoelastin may stimulate their endothelialization, inhibit smooth muscle
hyperplasia, and improve device performance.