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

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 Zn{superscript 2}-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.