Bone morphogenetic proteins for articular cartilage regeneration

Abstract

Degeneration of articular cartilage (AC) tissue is the most common cause of osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play important roles in bone and cartilage formation. This article reviews the experimental and clinical applications of BMPs in cartilage regeneration. Experimental evidence indicates that BMPs play an important role in protection against cartilage damage caused by inflammation or trauma, by binding to different receptor combinations and, consequently, activating different intracellular signaling pathways. Loss of function of BMP-related receptors contributes to the decreased intrinsic repair capacity of damaged cartilage and, thus, the multifunctional effects of BMPs make them attractive tools for the treatment of cartilage damage in patients with degenerative diseases. However, the development of BMP therapy as a treatment modality for cartilage regeneration has been hampered by certain factors, such as the eligibility of participants in clinical trials, financial support, drug delivery carrier safety, availabilities of effective scaffolds, appropriate selection of optimal dose and timing of administration, and side effects. Further research is needed to overcome these issues for future routine clinical applications. Research and development leading to the successful application of BMPs can initiate a new era in the treatment of cartilage degenerative diseases like OA.

The time-dependent effects of bipolar radiofrequency energy on bovine articular cartilage

“…Osteoarthritis results from the degeneration of articular cartilage and the ensuing secondary hyperostosis. Partial-thickness chondral defect has been found responsible for the degeneration of articular cartilage and remains without effective treatment methods [1,2]. In recent years, bipolar radiofrequency energy (bRFE) ablation has gained popularity among arthroscopic knee surgeries as a solution to articular cartilage lesions; it creates a smooth, stable cartilage surface by thermal shrinkage or removal of fibrillated cartilage and thus stops the progression of chondral degeneration [3].…”

<p>Growth Factor and Its Polymer Scaffold-Based Delivery System for Cartilage Tissue Engineering</p>

“…46,47 So far, at least 15 different BMPs have been found, of which BMP-2, BMP-4, BMP-6 and BMP-7 have been the most widely studied in the field of cartilage tissue engineering. 48 Particularly, BMP-2 has been proven to be highly expressed throughout the chondrogenic process; thus, it has been commonly applied to improve cartilage regeneration in vitro and in vivo. 49 Furthermore, in a rabbit articular cartilage defect model, combined therapy of microfracture and long-term BMP-2 delivery showed an advantage in the regeneration of hyaline-like cartilage, compared to microfracture with a short-term BMP-2 delivery.…”

PLGA/COL I Composite Scaffold Printed by a Low-temperature Deposition Manufacturing Technique for Application to Cartilage Tissue Engineering

“…Cartilage is known for its poor regeneration ability, and great efforts have been made to repair cartilage injury [1]. As one of the three cores used for cartilage tissue engineering, a scaffold could act as a temporary extracellular matrix (ECM) and supporting microenvironment to enhance seed cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation [2].…”