REVIEW article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Translational Pharmacology
Pharmacological Effects and Application Prospects of Mussel Adhesive Proteins
Provisionally accepted
- 1Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- 2Xi'an DeNovo Hith Medical Technology Co., Ltd, Xi'an 710116, China, Xi'an, China
- 3Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- 4Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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Mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) are natural proteins derived from Mytilus edulis, renowned for their exceptional adhesive properties. These proteins, rich in 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) residues, enable mussels to adhere firmly to surfaces in challenging environments. Due to these unique biochemical and mechanical characteristics, MAPs have attracted significant attention in the biomedical field, offering promising applications in wound healing, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and cosmetics. Recombinant MAPs (rMAPs), in particular, hold great potential due to their enhanced properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and cell-protective effects. They are increasingly being explored for their role in tissue repair, skin regeneration, and targeted drug delivery systems. Despite challenges in recombinant production, toxicity control, and underwater adhesion efficiency, ongoing advancements in genetic engineering and protein design are expanding the application prospects of rMAPs. This review explores the structure, pharmacological effects, and biomedical applications of MAPs, with a focus on the potential of rMAPs in precision medicine, drug delivery, and tissue regeneration, while highlighting the challenges and future directions for their development.
Keywords: Mussel adhesive proteins, Adhesion, biomedical applications, drug delivery system, Tissue Engineering
Received: 13 Sep 2025; Accepted: 24 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 An, Hou, Li, Bi, Huang, Peng and Peng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Fu Peng
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.