Atelocollagen is a protein obtained when telopeptides are enzymatically removed from collagen. Its physical properties are almost identical to those of natural, unsolubilized collagen.
Collagen is a principal protein of connective tissue and recently interested as a biomaterial. Most of connective tissues exist as a membrane like structure in living body such as skin, blood vessel, cornea, basement membrane and so on.
Collagen has two functions in vivo, that is, physical one supporting body and biological one controlling interaction with cells. Understanding biological property of collagen as well as its biochemistry becomes very important when applying it as a biomaterial.
Major antigenic determinant of collagen locates in telopeptides of the molecule though collagen is a poor antigen. Pepsin removes telopeptides and produces Atelocollagen which is much less antigenic than normal collagen.